On the Precipice of Disaster
by ChillyIce
Summary: (Formally Three's a Crowd) It is said that birds of a feather flock together, but that saying is meaningless to the halfas. Plasmius and Phantom will always be at odds. Unless a third halfa could unite the two. The shadows in the Ghost Zone are moving and all three halfas will have to work together to prevent utter disaster.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello everyone, I'm ChillyIce. You all consider this a pilot/test chapter to a new fic. If I get a good enough response I may continue (not to put any pressure on any of you). Title maybe subject to change.

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Catalina Aozora hurried out of her car slamming the door to her red car a little too hard. "Sorry, Brad. I shouldn't have done that," she apologized to the vehicle. "But I'm very late." She ran as fast as she allowed herself in her heels. She couldn't afford to fall in the parking lot. She narrowed her dark brown eyes focusing on the walking symbol and 'forcing' it to stay that way. Just as she reached the crosswalk the light changed to a red hand forcing her to stop. Catalina tapped her foot in irritation. She couldn't be late today or any day for that manner. She, Catalina Aozora, was never late. She ran her fingers through her newly cut hair still a little uncomfortable with its shorter length.

The light changed and Catalina hurried across the crosswalk and into the large office building. She ran to the elevator and began to push the button frantically. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she waited impatiently. "Running late, I see," a calm honeyed male voice said behind her. She straightened at the sound of the voice looking into the elevator's doors to see a silhouette behind her reflection. Catalina couldn't believe that her employer was standing behind her and caught her coming in late. Catalina turned quickly to face the man. She straightened her dress suit trying to look presentable and not like she ran two blocks to get here. She looked up at him with embarrassment. His dark blue eyes looked down at her own dark ones.

"I'm so sorry for being late Mr. Masters. I thought I had set up my alarm and I guess I didn't," Catalina said quickly hoping the man wouldn't be upset.

"Catalina, in case you haven't noticed, the office isn't even open yet," Vlad said with a smirk. Catalina looked around and noticed that her employer was right. There was absolutely no one in the lobby. She blushed a little.

"Well, you're here. I'm supposed to beat you here," she grumbled to herself. "Not that it's a race, but I want to make sure everything is ready for you."

The man raised a single eyebrow at her as the elevator dinged. "You make me sound like I'm helpless," the man said as the two entered the elevator.

"Weeellll, I'm not the one who said it," Catalina quipped. The man gave her a look of mock hurt putting a hand to his chest. "Anywho, you have a lot on your schedule today," the woman said looking at her tablet. She quickly entered into her calendar app which was held more of the man's obligations than her own which wasn't surprising since she became his personal assistant six months ago. "So you have a meeting with Vladco's board of directors. After that you need to meet with George down in the aeronautics department and speak to him about his latest project. Then of course your lunch meeting." Catalina looked up at her employer waiting for a response. The older man was staring intently at his reflection. "Mr. Masters, did your reunion go well? You seem upset," Catalina asked concerned.

The man gave his charming smile, "Of course it went well. I enjoyed meeting with my former classmates." Catalina caught the slight downturn of his smile when he mentioned his classmates.

"Bzzz, wrong answer," Catalina said jokingly, "I've been around you long enough to know that that's a lie. But it's okay, you don't have to tell me. I hope it doesn't interfere with your work." She could tell that the man was frowning at her lack of respect, but in all honestly she really looked up to the man and was only trying to lighten the mood.

"You underestimate me, Catalina," Vlad said as the doors to the elevator opened.

"I'll give you that. You are good at what you do," Catalina stated as she exited the elevator. "If you give me a moment I'll get your tea."

"There's no need for that, Catalina. I do need you to file some of claims though. They're in my office," Vlad led the way to his office. Catalina always loved Vlad's office; it was so neat and orderly. The warmth of the wooden furniture match perfectly with coolness of the green walls. "Ah here it is," the man said holding out a blue folder.

Catalina took it, "Thank you. I'll get on this right away, Sir." She walked to her desk calmly. She went right to work on sorting the papers that Vlad had handed her. While she was working on that, her coworkers were filling the office slowly. She sat at her desk as soon as she finished glad to be off her feet.

The ringing of the phone on her desk jarred her awake. She just hated that sound. Catalina picked up the phone quickly. "Hello, this is Vladimir Masters' office, Catalina speaking. How may I help you?" Catalina greeted spinning in her chair slightly.

"I'm Agent Q from the GIW. We are seeking assistance in our latest development in renewable energy. We would like to speak to Mr. Masters to arrange a date for a meeting," the male voice on the other line stated.

"Of course, let me look at his schedule," the woman drawled leaning her head to one side to hold the phone while she pulled out her tablet. "How much time would you be needing for this appointment?" she asked as she scrolled through the calendar.

"A day at least," the man stated on the other side. Catalina frowned at this; Vlad was a very busy man.

"If you give me a moment, I'll speak to him about when you can meet. Just give me your name and number and I'll get back to you." Jotting down the agent's information, Catalina hung up and searched for her employer. She knocked on his office door before letting herself in.

"Sir, Agent Q from the GIW wanted to meet with you in their facility. He wanted assistance on a project there. Of course, we need to have information on the project and whether or not you are willing to send some of our scientists there," Catalina stated.

"Sounds like a perfect job for you," Vlad stated looking up from his computer.

"Me?" the woman asked, "Are you sure you don't want to see for yourself?"

The man smiled, "I trust you to keep me informed. Besides I have too much work here to do to visit them anytime soon."

"Of course, Mr. Masters. I'll get right on it," Catalina said, "I'll be sure to call you every couple of hours for an update."

"I'm not helpless, Catalina," Vlad stated as she exited the room.

"I'm not saying that, Mr. Masters."

DP~DP~DP

Catalina huffed in annoyance at the blindfold tied across her eyes. "Why is this necessary again?" she asked the agent that she knew was sitting across from her.

"We can't have anyone know the location of this super secret facility," the agent's voice could be heard over the beating of the helicopter.

"If I didn't know better, I would have thought you were kidnapping me," Catalina said smugly. The helicopter blades slowed and their noise died with them.

"I ensure you Ms. Aozora that we have the best intentions," the agent said as he guided the blind woman out of the vehicle. Catalina knew they entered a building when the dry heat changed to cool crisp air. The man led the woman around for about ten minutes before he stopped suddenly. "Here were are," the agent said as the blindfold was removed.

Catalina blinked a couple of times to clear her blurred vision. She looked at the blank white-tiled walls of the hallway she was deposited in. She turned to the Asian agent next to her. He was taller than her which wasn't surprising considering she was only five foot three. "Put on this lab coat to protect that lovely dress you're wearing," the man said in what he must have thought was a flirtatious voice. Catalina internally scoffed, but took it from the man. She put it on covering her favorite white dress. "What it is that you wanted us to help you with?" Catalina asked ready to get a move on with this appointment.

"Right this way," the man led. " As I stated on the phone, we are working on a method of limitless energy. We have been able to tap into an alternate world. This world has limitless free energy from our measurements. All we need is a handful of your scientist to hurry the calculations along."

The man turned to his right and swiped his card into the lock. The door swung open and the two enter the lab. The white walls of the hallway contrasted greatly with the grey walls of the lab. Silver tables lined the walls. But the main attraction was a large metal cylinder against the wall. "Is that?" Catalina asked pointing to the portal like machine.

"Yes, it's not activated yet, but once it is we will be able to harness the energy," Agent Q continued.

"Fascinating," Catalina breathed stepping forward to touch the cool metal. "I think you may have a partner, Agent," she stated running her hand along the opening. A bell interrupted her inspection.

"Lunch time, everyone," a man called out and Catalina could hear the other agents leave. She told herself that she should leave as well. But why would she waste time eating when she could get a closer look at this piece of machinery. Looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching, she entered into the inactive portal. Her short heeled boots clicked on the metal flooring which drowned the sound of mechanical whirling.

"This is so cool," she whispered. "But I should be leaving," she stated turning to leave. A painful electrical shock ran through her body making Catalina fall to her knees. A cold chill started in the center of her chest. Catalina grabbed her front at this uncomfortable feeling. As quickly as the chill came, a burning sensation following. She felt as though she was on fire with her heart being it's epicenter. Catalina screamed, but couldn't hear it over the erratic beating of her heart. She couldn't breathe. Each breath burned her lungs. The chill returned only touching her skin causing goosebumps along her arms. Catalina could feel herself loosing control over her muscles. She fell flat on the ground and her body twitched uncontrollably. Catalina could feel fear grip her heart. She rolled on her back and her back arched. She could faintly hear sparks. The corners of her vision dimmed and sent her into darkness.

DP~DP~DP

Catalina groaned in pain. "Are you waking up now?" a female voice said.

"Let me sleep, Amelia," Catalina complained to her friend without opening her eyes. Catalina could practically see Amelia roll her eyes. "Wake me up in another hour."

"I guess I'll just tell Mr. Masters to come later," Amelia responded without missing a beat. Catalina opened her eyes quickly not wanting her boss to know that she was not up yet. Amelia's laughter banged against Catalina's already aching head. Catalina narrowed her eyes on the blonde that was sitting beside her bed, Mr. Masters nowhere in sight.

"That's not funny," Catalina grumbled as she narrowed her eyes at her friend. Amelia worked in the accounting department. When Catalina was hired, the two had become instant friends.

Amelia wiped at her blue eyes, "I don't know what to say." Catalina blushed. Amelia's laughter slowed and stopped. "You're very lucky to have survive that explosion."

"Explosion?" Catalina repeated.

"The entire facility exploded. There hasn't been any other survivors. Most have died from their wounds. The doctors didn't even believe that you'll make it," Amelia said turning her gaze downwards.

"Oh, I didn't know what it was that serious," Catalina sighed. A knock on the door drew both women's attention. The door opened slowly revealing Vlad Masters entering the room. He walked in with confidence.

"Catalina, you seem to be doing well. Amelia," Vlad greeted.

"I need to be heading off now," Amelia said waving at Catalina as she left. The door closed behind the blonde woman quickly.

"Considering how calm you are I image you didn't notice your hair," Vlad said with a grin.

Catalina's eyes widened. "What's wrong with my hair?" she asked starting to reach upward to her head. Vlad reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a hand mirror before handing it to his assistant. Catalina took it. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Besides some minor cuts and bruises, her light olive face was relatively unharmed. Her hair however had her blinking a couple times. The longer strands that framed her face and her asymmetrical bangs were completely white while the rest of her short hair retained their black color. Catalina was proud of her hair and to see it mutilated almost made her want to scream. "I'm too young to have white hair," she rose her voice narrowing her dark eyes at her reflection.

Vlad cleared his throat. "It looks good on you," Catalina grumbled looking at the man. The man gave her an unreadable look. Catalina tightened her hold on the mirror. She glared at her reflection wondering if she could dye her hair back to her natural color when the mirror fell from her hand as if it wasn't there.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi everyone, Chilly here. This is what happens when I get excited for a new fic; I tend to update faster. Anyways, I can't always promise that the chapters would be this long. As an important note: this fic will diverge from canon, I hope this is alright for all of you. Thank You Hoytti, Lurking Pheonix, and AutobotSeeker98 for following or favoriting this fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Danny Phantom characters. I only own original plot and characters. Please R&R

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In a place unaffected by time, a red-cloaked ghost watched the older half-ghost speak with his assistant through his little window into the Time Stream. He smiled in a satisfied manner. There was something about the species of hybrids that he enjoyed. Maybe it was their ability to shift their appearance much like himself or perhaps was the limitless possibilities that they hold.

"Clockwork, what have you done? A third half-ghost?" a voice that Clockwork knew all too well drew his attention away from the scene he was watching.

"It does appear that she survived the explosion after all," Clockwork said sagely turning to face the pair of cloaked eyeballs. The two were called Observants and though Clockwork did have to answer to them, he felt as though they were ignorant to the ways of time.

The two Observants didn't look amused as far as Clockwork could tell from their single eye. He shifted into his child form. "We have stated before that such beings are a danger to the time stream. The first would bring destruction and the second even more so. Adding a third would only make time more volatile."

Clockwork sighed as his body changed to that of the man. He knew about the trouble that Vladimir Masters and Danny Fenton could cause, but he also knew every possibility the two had. "I have also stated many times that these half-ghosts can save the time stream. We can't stop what is coming," Clockwork said. At this his gaze turned to a scene of the Earth. It's normal green fields were brown and the sky was burning red. The scene quickly switched to an equally decimated Ghost Zone.

"You put too much faith in such folly creatures," the leader Observant said grimly.

Clockwork turned away from the Observants no longer wanting to look at them, "And you put too little faith in them. If it makes you feel better, I'll take responsibility for all three of them." With that one statement, the time ghost knew that he had won the argument just as he had twice before.

DP~DP~DP~

Catalina looked at her hands confused. She was positive that she had a good grip on the mirror. She signed herself out before walking beside her boss as they left the hospital. She was very grateful that the doctors couldn't find anything seriously wrong and had let her out with a just a promise to rest. "Thank you for coming to see me, Mr. Masters," Catalina said to her employer who was still there.

"Of course, it would be inconsiderate for me not to see one of my best employees when they had a near death experience," Vlad answered smoothly. Catalina cleared her throat trying to figure out his game; Vladimir Masters wouldn't just play nursemaid to his employees even if she was basically his right-hand woman. The action of clearing her throat caused pain to flare up around her sides.

"Ugh, my ribs are still aching," Catalina complained wrapping her arm around said ribs. "I know I should be grateful that nothing is broken, but still. Why would they turn on that machine, at least with no warning?"

"The GIW aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. Just be glad they didn't kill you," Vlad answered with a little more anger than she expected.

"It's alright. I mean, I'm still breathing so that's a good thing. No harm done, except for my hair which is almost punishable by death, but I can dye it and everything will be good," Catalina said trying to lighten the tension that was clearly evident. The man's posture relaxed slightly.

"Of course, I'll be seeing you in the office two days from now," Vlad said curtly as he walked ahead his longer legs making the distance between Catalina and himself wider.

"Woah, wait a second. I'm coming in tomorrow," Catalina said offended. "A couple of bruised ribs aren't going to stop me from working."

"You're right, but security will," the man responded without missing a beat.

"You're evil," Catalina grumbled to herself. She sighed before speaking again, "I hate to be a bother but could you drive me to the office. I'm not going to work, but my car is over there."

"Or I can drive you home and drop off your vehicle later," Vlad answered in a tone that made Catalina feel as though he was angry.

"Sure, that's very kind of you, Mr. Masters," Catalina said cheerfully keeping close to her employer. "So what was that thing that the GIW was working on? I know they said it had access to a world of immense amounts of energy and that if they could tap into it, we could be a leader in reusable energy." She paused in her explanation and waited for him to respond.

"I have no idea what those crazed maniacs were plotting, but from their files it appears that their calculations were very wrong. Which brings me to my next question. How are you feeling?" Vlad asked, "Are you experiencing any unusual side effects?" His eyes were looking at her with an odd gleam, it made her want to give him a little more space.

"I'm feeling fine. I'm a little tired, but the doctors said that might be because of blood loss. I was a little anemic, but they said if I rest, that I'll be on my feet in no time. As far as side effects, besides the hair thing, nothing is sticking out to me," Catalina answered fingering her white bangs in thought.

"Keep me posted. If you are feeling ill, I'll take care of it immediately. You could win a large settlement for being hurt due to their recklessness," Vlad said opening the door to his black car. Catalina entered the passenger side without any prompting.

"I know, Mr. Masters. Thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself," Catalina said with a grin.

"I didn't suggest otherwise, but I'm merely concerned," Vlad answered pulling away from his parking spot. Catalina yawned; she was feeling a lot more tired than she thought she was earlier.

"So when I was in the hospital, I was thinking about the breakroom in the office. Remember when you asked me last week what would increase employee satisfaction? I did some surveying and it looks as though another coffee machine topped the list. They are definitely grateful for the gym that you have set up as well," Catalina stated trying to start a conversation.

"You're the only one I've seen in the gym. Are you sure they are all grateful or is it just you?" Vlad said in a teasing manner.

"I've seen Nathan down there as well. Which reminds me. DALV was having a party celebrating its newly acquired recognition in some magazine and wanted to invite you. It's supposed to be a pretty exciting event," Catalina stated yawning once again. "It would be nice for them to see you."

"Or I can just send you with my deepest regrets," Vlad answered in a manner that Catalina could identify as possibly be joking. She remained quiet as the man started to chuckle, "I was merely joking, Catalina. There's no need for the glare."

Catalina leaned back and relaxed. She couldn't help but feel like Vlad was waiting for her to do something unusual. She closed her eyes for a moment to stop the beginning of a headache. She took a deep breath and released it. "Catalina?" Vlad's voice called.

She opened her eyes a little, "Just tired, Mr. Masters." She closed her eyes and dozed off.

DP~DP~DP~

Catalina opened her eyes an hour later. Vlad was reaching over her to unfasten her seatbelt. She was still groggy and a little dizzy, but she was coherent enough to sense how close the man was to her. "I got it, Sir," she slurred as she pushed his hands away and unbuckle the belt. The man backed away as she pulled herself out of her seat. She wobbled on her feet a little before standing up straight. She didn't even bother to ask Vlad how he knew where she lived; she just didn't have the energy to do so.

"Thank you, Mr. Masters. I'll be in the office two days from now. You can call if you need anything," Catalina said not hearing his reply as she stumbled to her small house. "I'm okay," she called out to him in order to convince herself that something wasn't terribly wrong. She pulled her keys out of her purse and they fell through her hand. In fact, she was so tired she couldn't even see her hand. A hand with her keys appeared in her face. "Thank you Mr. Masters," Catalina said automatically before grabbing the keys with her visible hand and entering her home.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad stared at the closed door that his assistant just entered. He was certain he saw what he thought he saw. He saw the woman's hand go intangible and invisible. He knew that the explosion from the ghost portal would have some side effects and if he was correct and another hybrid was created, he could have even more influence in the Ghost Zone and might even be able to convince Daniel to join him. Another halfa would be a very useful ally, assuming she woke up her ghost half before it killed her. But that was not a problem, he could easily coax it out of her.

DP~DP~DP

Catalina woke up in a cold sweat, jolting upright in her bed. She gripped her ribs out of instinct, but was surprised that there was barely a dull ache. She frowned confused; the bruises should take a couple of days at least to heal not a couple of hours. She got out of her bed looking around her dark room. She looked at her clock on the nightstand to figure out what time it was. The digital face read 10:30. Catalina sighed; she had been out for hours and couldn't even remember getting into her bed. It didn't help she was feeling even sicker than she was this morning. Deciding on getting a drink of water, she staggered toward her door. Just as she was about to open her door, she heard a soft thump as if something landed on the floor. She spun quickly, grabbing her head as a dizzy spell hit.

As soon as her head stopped spinning, she gasped in surprise. Standing at the foot of her bed was a creature she never saw before. It was obviously a male humanoid. His black hair stuck up into two points. His skin was a pale blue, his ears were slightly pointed. His red eyes were entirely focused on her. She narrowed her eyes, not liking the predatory look he was giving her. "Can I help you?" she asked steadily, trying not to have her fear leak through into her voice.

"That is yet to be seen," the man stated stepping toward her. She fell to her knees as she became sick to her stomach. She began panting as her center started to warm. It felt as though her heart was on fire. A white ring of light formed around her center. It split into two: one ring traveled toward her head while the other to her feet. As the rings passed over her body, an uncomfortable sensation passed over her body; it wasn't painful just unpleasant.

She knelt there on her hands and knees. "Just like I thought, a halfa," the strange being said.

Catalina looked up her dizzy spell passed; in fact she felt so much better. She looked up at the man. She noted with a little surprise that her dark room was transformed into a completely different place. Every little detail came into sharp focus. The way the moonlight touched everything was almost mesmerizing. Remembering the other being in her room, Catalina pushed herself to her feet. "What's a halfa?" she asked the man.

He gave her a smirk, "A half-ghost, half-human hybrid."

"You're kidding, right? Ghosts don't exist," Catalina said with skepticism. In a swirl of his white cape, the man disappeared. Catalina blinked at the empty air before being spun around and being pulled by her front. She was looking directly into the red eyes of the man. She could tell that this man could easily destroy her, so she became silent. She wasn't a coward, but she wasn't stupid enough to start a fight she couldn't finish.

"As a ghost, even a half-ghost, you need to leave my territory. No one trespasses on Plasmius's property without my permission," Plasmius said in a near growl.

"Okay, okay. I'll just leave. Just tell me what your territory is and I'll be sure to avoid it," Catalina said in her calmest voice, not wanting to fight this strange creature.

"All of Wisconsin," the ghost answered with a fanged grin.

"Well, then you're going to have to share because I can't just pick up my stuff and leave," she said narrowing her eyes at the taller ghost.

Plasmius chuckled, "I have a better idea. I'll give you a choice. One you can stay without my permission and I'll promptly destroy you or two you become my apprentice and ally."

Catalina listened to her two options. "That's mighty generous of you. Offering to train me. What's the catch?" she asked as she could read in his stance that he really didn't want to harm her, just intimidate.

"Simple, as my ally you would have to aide me in my endeavors," Plasmius answered quickly.

"Done," Catalina answered with a shrug, "Doesn't seem like too big of a deal." She would have laughed at his confused face if she hadn't wanted to hurt the other's feeling.

"Deal? Just like that?" he asked looking at her like she was trying to pull a fast one.

"Uh, yeah. I don't give my word to just anyone. When I make a promise, I keep it. Besides, I do need a teacher and you're the first to offer," Catalina said giving the other ghost a smile.

He released his hold on her. "What do I call you? What's your name?" he asked giving her a little space.

The sudden question threw Catalina off. She couldn't just give her name, could she? "Alma…Alma Espanta," she answered quickly and resisted the urge to facepalm herself.

"Alma?" Plasmius repeated with a grin, "Very creative." Catalina huffed. "It was a pleasure meeting you Alma and I'll be coming tomorrow night to begin your training."

"Woah, wait before you disappear. I have a single request. Don't just appear in my bedroom. I could be changing or something. You can meet me in the room just out that door," Catalina said in a single breath.

"Duly noted," Plasmius said with a tilt of his head. He disappeared once again with a swirl of his cape.

Catalina frowned at the empty space he left before breaking out into a smile. He was interesting enough and he definitely gave her a generous offer. But this train of thought quickly left as she wondered how she looked like now. Plasmius gave her a strange look when those white rings went over her, so she could only assume that her appearance had changed. Catalina hurried to her vanity to look into the mirror.

The creature in the mirror couldn't be her. Catalina raised her hand and saw that the _thing_ in the mirror did as well. Her light olive skin was now a pale blue similar to Plasmius and her normally soft features were sharpened. The portions of her hair that were still black this morning were now white and flared away from her head while her bangs regained their black color and stayed straight against her face. Her eyes were completely red and her canines had lengthened into fangs. She looked at her blue hands and each nail was sharpened to a dull point. Drawing her attention away from her hands, Catalina noticed that she was no longer in her spaghetti-strapped nightdress. The nightdress was replaced with a black halter-topped dress that hugged her curves ending at her mid-thigh. Beneath her dress were white leggings and short-topped boots. Tight against her upper arms were a pair of black sleeves which covered her arms until the middle of her forearm where a slit appeared in the material making the sleeves flutter around her.

Catalina turned away from the mirror. Taking a deep breath she calmed herself. She briefly wondered if she should have asked Plasmius how to change back. She shook her head; she was positive she could figure it out. If she was feeling threatened by Plasmius when she shifted the first time, perhaps if she felt comfortable, she would change back. She sat back on her bed, taking calming breaths. After two minutes, the white ring appeared again. She smiled in pride as she felt herself shift into her human state.

* * *

A/N: Hi everyone, quick note: Alma and Espanta are both Spanish words for spirit or in other words ghost.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: hello everyone. I hope you are all doing well. Just a note, in my headcanon (possibly not actual canon) half-ghost's 'ghost sense' don't work on other half-ghosts. I think that's it for now. For those of you who celebrate: Happy (early) Thanksgiving. Thank you pinkdots for following and favoriting this fic. And thank you for adding this fic to your favorites. I'm also grateful for all of you who are reading this. :)

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Catalina woke up to her alarm clock blaring. Without even looking she pushed the snooze to give herself time to wake up. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She stretched and then shut off the alarm to prevent another ear-shattering warning. She walked groggily to her bathroom to prepare for the day. As she passed her mirror, she saw a glint of white. Catalina stopped to see a ghostly reflection in the mirror. She gave a small squeak. She thought what happen last night was a dream. Ghosts couldn't exist, half-ghosts don't exist. If she was a ghost, then she was dead. Catalina put two blue fingers to her neck; she could still feel a pulse. She frowned and her ghostly reflection also frowned. "So I'm dead and not-dead at the same time," she sighed, "I'll just ask Plasmius. He seemed nice enough you know after the threatening thing." Noticing that she was thinking out loud, Catalina turned away. She focused on becoming human and could feel herself shifting back. Now human she showered.

She walked calmly to her kitchen to find something to eat. It was nice to have a day or two off. She could get this whole ghost thing under control. She made herself a bowl of cereal only dropping one bowl and spilling once. She sat down and started to eat. Catalina focused on her hand and watched as it became a weird shade of blue and the spoon fall from its grasp. She glared at her hand and imagined that it was solid. Her hand regained its olive color and Catalina picked up her spoon to eat. It took her thirty minutes to finish her breakfast, but Catalina was proud to say that she was getting the hang of staying tangible.

Since she didn't have much to do, Catalina decided to study what the 'experts' have said about ghosts. She walked to her office making her hand go intangible and tangible. Taking her seat and falling through it once, Catalina turned on her computer. Searching for ghost, one name kept popping up: Fenton. Jack and Madeline Fenton. Deciding to look further into their work and hoping to find someone to speak to about this ghost stuff, Catalina clicked on their webpage. She read the page halfway before realizing that she couldn't go to these people. In fact, she felt herself pale as she read about their want to 'dissect and study a ghost specimen' or to 'rip it apart molecule by molecule.' Catalina exited the website quickly, feeling slightly sick to her stomach. Staring at the screen blanking, she realized that she couldn't tell anyone about this ghostly side of her; if there were people like that out there, they wouldn't hesitate to experiment and test on her. Catalina felt a shiver of fear.

"I have to get this under control," she stated to herself. With a newfound purpose, Catalina went into her bedroom and walked to her vanity. "First things first, I should learn how to shift from one form to another," Catalina spoke out loud to her reflection. She shut her eyes and focused on becoming her ghost persona. Reopening them, Catalina gave her reflection a proud fanged grin. "That's what I'm talking about," she said pumping her fist. "And now back again," she breathed out as the white rings changed her back into her human half.

She spent two hours in front of the mirror, changing from one form to the other. After the second time her hand phased through the vanity causing her to crash her head into the solid wood, she decided to work on her tangibility problem. She looked around her room to find something she wouldn't mind breaking. She picked up her hairbrush after deciding that it wouldn't be able to break with a couple of falls. She looked at the plain black hairbrush and tried to imagine that her hand wasn't there. The clatter of the brush on her vanity was a sweet sound to her ears.

Catalina waited in her study looking at the clock hanging on the wall. She looked over at her bookshelf and wondered if she should pick up a book to read while she waited for Plasmius. She turned into her ghost form and walked over to her shelf. She scanned over the titles on each book when she heard a thump as though someone had landed in the room. She spun around and gave the taller ghost a grin, "Hi Plasmius."

The male ghost replied quickly, "Good evening, Alma." Catalina could almost detect the smallest of pauses when he spoke her name. "I see that you can switch between your forms easily enough," he stated with his hands clasped behind his back, "which makes my job a lot easier."

Catalina shrugged, "I had today off so I figured I would try to get this whole ghost thing under control. It was better than getting myself lost in thought. I think I have changing back and forth down pack. But I'm having a little difficulty with the whole intangibility thing. "

Plasmius nodded, "I'm glad to hear that you have been working on your abilities. Before I start training you, I need you to understand one crucial detail that may help you control your abilities: these powers are yours and yours alone. Therefore, you are in complete control of them."

Catalina blinked a couple of times trying to process what the older ghost was saying. "I understand. What you're saying is that my powers are under my control which means that they can't do anything that I don't want them to do. My ghost self is myself. It's not a separate part of me. It's just ..me." Catalina trailed off remembering her line of thought from the morning. "Plasmius," she asked softly. She looked up at the older ghost who gave her a look that she took as to continue. "Am I dead?" she said her voice barely a whisper; she was sure that Plasmius hadn't had heard her.

"Yes and no. In truth, your state isn't one that can be easily described. You could call it being half-dead," Plasmius answered.

Catalina nodded, trying not to think about it she said, "You think I can get a settlement for loss of life. Or at least half of it?" The older ghost looked amused at the question. "Anyways, so what are you teaching me tonight?" Catalina asked trying to take her mind away from her apparent half-death.

"We'll start with the basics of keeping your abilities secret. This means to get your intangibility and invisibility under control. Have you started to levitate yet?" Plasmius asked.

"No, I haven't yet? Will I?" Catalina asked.

"Eventually, so we should be able to stop any unwanted floating before it happens," Plasmius stated. "Go intangible for me."

"Please?" Catalina added not liking the demand in his tone. The other ghost frowned and Catalina huffed; they could work on that later. Focusing on becoming intangible, her body listened to the command. "See, piece of cake," she said with a smirk.

Plasmius nodded his approval and commanded that she regain tangibility. The next couple of hours were spent having Catalina go intangible and invisible. Eventually she was able to get both down well without any accidents. "Now, I want you to levitate a foot off the ground."

Catalina sighed and tried to picture herself floating. In mere seconds, her feet were not touching the floor. This ability seemed to be easier to manage and Catalina was able to perform it on command quickly. "One last task, Alma. We should go outside for this," Plasmius advised before becoming intangible and floating through the roof. Catalina followed easily using the skills she had learned.

Plasmius was floating above the roof to her house and Catalina flew to his side. "Observe," the older ghost commanded and Catalina watched as his black-gloved hands glowed with a pink energy before the energy shot out in a blast.

"Cool," Catalina gasped jumping a little, "How did you do that?"

"First things first, Alma," Plasmius said with amusement. "I have a question for you. Where do you think your ghost powers originate from, where are formed?"

"Easy," Catalina said, "here." She put a hand over her heart; she felt the surge of energy there the most whenever she shifted her forms.

"Exactly, that's where your core resides. Without going into too much detail. You need to gather the energy from your core and…"

"Like this?" Catalina asked before her hand shot out a green beam at Plasmius. The other ghost's eyes widened, but he was surrounded by a pink energy field before the blast hit him.

"Couldn't you wait until I was done explaining," the older ghost shouted causing Catalina to float back a little.

"I'm sorry. I was just so excited to try it. You're a good teacher by the way," Catalina said trying to get on his good side again.

Plasmius pinched the bridge of his nose, "That's fine. Just aim somewhere else." Catalina grinned cheekily before giving Plasmius a hug. The older ghost stiffened at her touch before patting her on the head and pushing her away.

DP~DP~DP~

Plasmius left the other halfa about 11:30 at night. He flew over to his mansion before transforming back into Masters. He smiled to himself; his little apprentice was coming along nicely. In other than four hours, the woman seemed to have a grasp on her powers. He looked at the package he was planning on sending to a vengeful teen. That plan should be put on hold for the moment. Vlad was certain that the newest halfa would be able to convince Daniel to join him. Catalina practically idolized him. Vlad couldn't be more pleased having the young woman so excited to learn from him. However, he needed to bring her up to speed with Daniel. Vlad always could reveal his halfa nature to her, but he decided against it because it might cause an odd working relationship and he needed her to still be a productive assistant.

These thoughts brought the man's train of thought to the moment when the shorter woman threw her arms around him. The touch was definitely unexpected and it was unusual. People didn't get close to Plasmius or Masters for that matter. People feared him and for good reason. Why would the woman who barely knew him show such affection? He shrugged it off figuring that the woman was just overly excitable.

….

Catalina was bored. There was no other way to describe her state. She lounged on her couch flipping through channels on her television. She had already practiced the skills that she learned so far, cleaned her house, and even baked a pie. She would bake more pastries but she didn't have the supplies. "Maybe, I'll go on a little flight before Plasmius shows up," she said to herself jumping off the couch and becoming her ghost alter-ego. Becoming intangible, she flew through her roof. She floated above her roof before flying invisibly toward the countryside to the south. Catalina lived barely within the city limits and rarely left town, so seeing the fields was definitely something interesting to do especially from above.

She watched as the cows in the field grazed. She lowered herself closer to the ground to see the animals. They must have sensed her presence because they started to run away. Catalina sighed in disappointment. A stream of red hot steam flowed from her lips burning its way from her throat to her lips and tongue. She blinked at the strange sensation wondering what ability that was. A green ecto-blast shot beside her head making her white hair fly into her face. Her invisibility fell in shock. Catalina turned quickly to face where the attack came from. Floating above her was a strange mechanical ghost with flaming green hair and electric green eyes. The ghost had a large gun that he aimed straight at her.

"Now ghost girl. I'm not one to attack prey when they are unprepared. So that was a warning shot. The next won't miss," the ghost said his voice deep.

"Wait, what?" Catalina asked smartly before she saw another shot coming at her. She spun to the right dodging the shot. Trying to avoid confrontation, she sped off as fast as she could fly further south. She looked over her shoulder to see the other ghost ready another shot. She turned intangible as the blast passed through her. Catalina took up an evasive flight pattern, zigzagging across the air. She wondered how there was another ghost here; Plasmius said that he owned all of Wisconsin and no other ghost were allowed. A burning pain in her side broke this thought as she tilted a little at the hit. She looked quickly at the wound; it was only a glancing hit. Catalina looked for somewhere to get the advantage. Seeing a small forest, she sped up to hide in the trees.

"You can't hide from the mighty Skulker. I will find you and have your pelt," the metal ghost called out. Catalina banked quickly to land on a tree. She pressed herself into the bark trying to hide. Her heart was racing as she tried to remain silent. "You think simple tricks like this will stop me?" Skulker asked. Catalina could hear the launching of small rockets. The tree behind her exploded throwing the half-ghost and splinters in the air.

Catalina gathered her senses quickly and flew into the canopy. She tried to think of a strategy. For one the hunter seemed to be able to find her without having to see or hear her; second to note was that the ghost didn't use any ectoblasts. She had a crazy idea; maybe it was her ghost energy that he sensed. Taking a risk, Catalina landed on one of the higher branches and turned human. She looked to the forest ground and watched as the metal ghost came into view. She pressed herself into the tree, the bark biting into the small cuts on her back.

Skulker looked at his wrist before tapping on it. He looked frustrated. Catalina hoped that his expression meant that he lost her location. The hunter was determined though; he floated through the forest slowly scanning the branches. Catalina was studying her enemy just as much as he was searching for her. She could see the seams of his exoskeletal suit. All she had to do was remove the suit and the other ghost would be defenseless; she hoped. Skulker floated underneath her. Taking a deep breath, Catalina jumped off her branch and turned ghost. She landed heavily onto Skulker's back and started to pry apart the armor starting with the jetpack on his back. "What do you think you're doing?" the ghost shouted trying to reach his back as the pack came apart.

Catalina stopped the hand that was trying to reach her and yanked it off. She tossed the appendage aside as Skulker's other hand tried to grab her. The halfa snapped this arm off as well. Now that the ghost couldn't defend itself, Catalina wrapped her arms around his neck. Using her legs as leverage, she tugged and nearly fell when the other ghost's head popped off. As soon as the head was off, the rest of the armor tumbled into the ground. She could see a small glowing object leave the armor shell. Curious she floated down. As her feet touched the ground, she got a good look at what was in the suit. It was a small green ghost that looked up at the female halfa with absolute hatred.

DP~DP~DP

Plasmius floated into the woman's study. He frowned to himself when he couldn't sense her ghost signature anywhere. He focused on his hearing trying to pick up her human heartbeat, but the small house was empty. Fearing the worst, he flew to the roof. He wondered where the female halfa would go? A small beeping sound came from his wrist. Plasmius picked up his arm to look at the communicator he never left at home. "Plasmius, I thought you would like to know that I found an intruder. Don't worry about it I'll take care of the whelp," Skulker said through the small device.

"I trust you to do your job," Vlad answered quickly not concerned about some ghostly intruder. The halfa ended the call. "Where are you?" he asked out loud hoping that the woman would show up. Then the thought hit him like lightening. Skulker had found Catalina; that would be the most reasonable explanation. Vlad used his communicator to find the hunter's location before flying full speed. There was no way that the newest halfa could handle Skulker; she could barely shoot an ectoblast.

It didn't take long before he could see damage caused by the hunter. Burned pockmarks in the fields created a path. Vlad hurried his pace and hoped that he wasn't late. He entered a forest that seemed to have taken quite a bit of damage; trees were missing branches and were charred. Vlad felt the other halfa's ectosignature and he followed it.

As he got nearer, he could hear talking. It wasn't Skulker's voice; it was Catalina's. Vlad flew to the voice and started back when he saw what was going on. Catalina was sitting her legs to one side watching a small green shape scurry around. Whenever the small shape moved too far, she would shoot a small blue ectoblast in front of it causing it to change directions.

Vlad landed next to the commotion. The first thing he noted was that Skulker's suit looked to be strewn about the forest floor. "Plasmius, I'm glad you're here. Look at what I caught," Catalina said excitedly. Plasmius watched as the half-ghost held up the unsuited Skulker by his foot.

"You will put me down or I'll never stop hunting you. I'll have your pelt as my rug and your head over my mantle," Skulker shouted in his squeaky voice, his legs kicking in the air.

"I see that you two met each other," Plasmius stated looking from the small ghost to halfa. "Skulker, this is Alma. She is my apprentice. Alma this is Skulker, one of my allies." The two stopped their struggle to stare at each other. Their eyes narrowed with distrust.

The first to recover was Catalina, "I'm so sorry, Skulker. Actually, I'm not. You're the one that shot first." The woman dropped Skulker to the ground.

"I assume that I can't hunt her then," Skulker said gruffly, ignoring the female halfa.

"That's correct. Alma, here, is under my protection and has full permission to be in my territory," Plasmius said coolly.

"Maybe we should restart this. Hello Skulker, my name's Alma Espanta," the woman said with a grin and holding her hand out to the ghost.

"You halfas are strange," Skulker grumbled and Plasmius had half a mind to kick him. He hoped that Catalina hadn't caught the slip.

The woman laughed good-heartedly. "Let me gather your suit so you can get back in," she offered putting the helmet to the exosuit back onto the torso. Now that the tension was dissipated, Plasmius took the time to be proud of the other halfa; without a single ectoblast, she managed to defeat Skulker.

Once Skulker entered his suit the three began to speak again. "Alma, work on your ectoblasts. Practice on aiming."

"Yes, Sir," the halfa said before pivoting on her heel and beginning to shoot blue ectoblasts. "Skulker, over here," Plasmius motioned to the hunter. Skulker followed without complaint.

"That ghost girl is crazy. She jumped me and started to pull my suit apart at the joints," Skulker said with a frown.

"Skulker, don't share the fact I'm a halfa to her," Plasmius stated without responding to the hunter's complaint.

"Sure, I won't say anything. She'll probably find out soon enough," Skulker said with a grumble, "I'm going to continue my hunt." The ghost turned to leave.

"Bye, Skulker. Maybe we can see each other again," Catalina's voice called out as the hunter flew off with a huff. She turned her attention to Plasmius looking at him with her red eyes and giving a fanged smile. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I just was afraid he was going to kill me," she said with an honest tone.

"He will be fine. You just bruised his pride. I have to admit I'm impressed. How did you manage to get the slip on him?" Plasmius asked.

"Oh, so when he was chasing me, I realized that he wasn't tracking my sight or noise. I figured that he must have been tracking my ghost abilities. It was a long shot, but I turned into my human form. When he didn't notice me, I studied his armor. I noticed where the pieces fitted together and decided that if I removed the suit from him I could get an advantage," she explained excitedly.

Plasmius grinned proudly; the woman was observant and seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. "Plasmius," she called gaining his attention again. "Before Skulker appeared, something interesting happened. This red steam came out of mouth; it nearly burned me. What is it?"

"Some ghost have the ability to sense ecto-energy. In other words, you sense ghost even before you can see them," Plasmius explained.

"Interesting especially since I don't sense you," Catalina said raising an eyebrow leaning a little closer to him.

"Even I don't know all the ins and outs of every ability, Alma," Plasmius lied hoping that the woman would drop the topic. "Let's work on your ectoblasts." The woman gave him an almost knowing look before gathering blue energy around her hand.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello everyone! I don't have much to say except that as you notice I added SxD to the description. I may get hate for this but personally I don't care for Sam and Danny as a couple, but it is canon therefore it will stay. Thank you Elizabeth goddess of chaos and PrennCooder for following this fic. I like to personally reply to review before a chapter begins.

-ShadowDragon357- Thank you for the complement. You asked if the fic will ever be DxOC and the answer is no. Catalina is a little old for Danny and besides I can't see her finding romantic interest in Danny. And I like to stay with canon pairings.

-Guest- Thank you, I'm glad you like stories like this. I do agree that the fandom needs more Vlad/OC. I'm sorry that you feel like its rushed. I'll try my best to slow it down.

This goes to all my readers: If you have any suggestions, don't be afraid to say so. :)

Disclaimer: I always forget these things. I don't own Danny Phantom or any of its characters.

* * *

Catalina entered the office just as she planned to: before Vlad Masters. She walked to her desk to see a neat pile of paperwork. She sighed in relief; it was great to know that she would be busy. The woman started filing the paperwork when the elevator doors opened.

Vlad walked into the office with measured steps. "Good Morning, Mr. Masters," Catalina greeted automatically not looking up from her work. "Your day is free from any meetings today, but I believe advertising will be requesting your audience soon. Something about Vladco's website," she cited off the top of her head without referring to her tablet, getting to her feet.

"Thank you, Catalina. You seem well," Vlad responded, "I'll be in my office working on some paperwork and will like to be undisturbed."

"Of course, Mr. Masters. I hope you have a good day," Catalina said letting her employer go into his office. She sat back down at her desk. She had to organize all the travel arrangements for some of the workers in research and development. She was on her computer looking at flights and hotels when she heard the creak of someone leaning on her desk. Catalina looked away from the screen to see who was at her desk.

"Good Morning, Cat. You look lovely today," the tall, brunette man said with what he must have thought was a charming smile. His green eyes were looking at her intently.

"Thank you, Nathan. And good morning to you as well. How's the marathon training coming along?" Catalina asked being friendly.

"Great, are you still planning on running?" Nathan asked.

"I am. Unless something else comes up," Catalina motioned to Vlad's office door at the last sentence.

"You need to take some time for yourself. Me and some of the guys from accounting are going out for drinks this evening, did you want to come with?"

"No, I'm not a drinker. I'm also busy this evening," Catalina stated looking back at the computer screen.

"That's a shame, but we should hang out sometime. Maybe we can prepare for the marathon together," Nathan suggested.

"Perhaps," Catalina answered distractedly before the phone rang. Nathan waved as Catalina answered. "Vlad Master's office, Catalina Aozora speaking." The phone call was a reporter requesting an interview with Vlad. Catalina said that Mr. Masters was too busy to be interviewed for the moment and the reporter hung up.

The rest of the day went without a hitch. She shut off her computer. Looking over at the empty office once, she knocked on Vlad's door. "Mr. Masters, I'm leaving for the night. Is there anything you need before I head out?" she called through the door.

"Please come in," Vlad's voice came through the wooden door. Catalina opened the door and entered silently. He was bent over paperwork reading through it carefully. "I'm going to need you to set up a meeting with the board members of Xen Inc. We may have an opportunity to buy them out if their stocks don't show an increase."

"Mr. Masters, I don't know if investment in Xen incorporated would be a good idea. If you look at the consumer trends, their products will not be selling as well," Catalina stated.

"Why do you believe that?" Vlad asked his expression looked as though he was trying to test her. He had a barely noticeable grin.

"Well, Xen's products revolve around its own computer systems. I have heard that there are a lot of bugs in the system. Besides with Apple and Windows, I don't believe we have a place in the computer business," Catalina stated quickly.

"Good enough," Vlad answered.

"Is there anything else you need me for?" Catalina asked, not questioning the impromptu test. "I can file those papers if you're done with them."

"That won't be necessary. I'm going to call it a night as well," Vlad answered closing the folder he was looking at. Catalina stood there unsure if she should wait for him or to leave. Her decision was made for her as Vlad reached her side quickly and the two left his office.

"I was thinking, just an idea, that we can hold an office Christmas party. It would be fun; we could have food and a gift exchange. Maybe a cookie exchange. I still have a couple of months, but it could be fun," Catalina stated getting excited at the idea, but unsure how her employer would take it.

"If you take care of the planning, then you can have it," Vlad answered.

"Thank you, Mr. Masters. Would you be coming? It would mean a lot to everyone," Catalina asked hoping that the man would say yes.

"It's being hosted in my building. I have to make sure that nothing gets destroyed," Vlad said with smile.

"Of course, I'll start spreading the news right away," Catalina stated. "Would you like to be part of the secret Santa? You can't spend more than $15 dollars, of course."

"If I'm participating in the party, I might as well go all the way," Vlad answered with an almost bored expression.

"That's the spirit," Catalina said pumping her fists, "There's Brad. I got to go." She waved to Vlad before running to her car.

….

Catalina held her hands up; a glowing blue shield was stagnant in front of her palms. She braced herself as another blue ectoblast smashed against the flowing energy. Catalina narrowed her eyes in concentration looking past the barrier to Plasmius who had a pleased look on his face. "Very good, Alma," he praised, "Your shield looks very stable. Let's increase the power, shall we?"

"I'm ready when you're ready," Catalina called from her side of the barrier. Plasmius raised his hand which was now incased with blue-violet energy. He sent out the blast. The violet energy hit the barrier causing it to crush inwards and throwing the female halfa to the ground. Catalina laid looking up at the starry sky stunned.

"Alma, are you alright?" Plasmius asked his face towering over her, his red eyes showed concern.

Catalina frowned, "I thought I had it…. I think I could do a better job if I was actually protecting something." She sat up and smoothed out her dress.

"You can protect that tree," Plasmius stated pointing over to a small shrub. Catalina looked over at the small shrubbery with a narrowed gaze.

"Naw, not much of a tree hugger," Catalina said, "Maybe we can bring Skulker over. I'll be really motivated then." She grinned at the thought of the hunter being shot at.

"I imagine you mean motivated to get him shot," Plasmius added noticing the mischievous grin on her face.

"What? Sweet little me? Of course I wouldn't," Catalina said sarcastically, her grin becoming larger.

"How about this?" Plasmius asked as a second Plasmius split off from the original.

Catalina gave an excited shout, "I knew that you knew some more cool tricks. You have to teach me that. And teleportation as well." She was floating off the ground in excitement. Plasmius took a small step back as the woman invaded his personal space.

"We'll have to wait with teleportation and duplication. Both are fairly complicated and…"

"You don't think I'm smart enough to get it," Catalina said with a fake sad expression floating back to the ground.

"Crocodile tears aren't going to work, Alma," Plasmius responded and Catalina chuckled. "It would be dangerous to practice those techniques before you get a grasp of the basics."

"Okay, Okay. I'll concentrate on the ghost shield. So one of you is going to stand behind me and the other shoot?" Catalina asked knowing the answer. Plasmius nodded and one floated behind the female halfa while the other took his original position in front of her. Catalina took a deep breath and created another blue barrier. She concentrated on how she didn't want any harm to befall Plasmius who was floating behind her. With a nod, the first ectoblast struck the barrier. "Come on, you can hit harder than that, Plasmius," Catalina taunted giving the other ghost a cheeky grin.

"I don't want to hurt you, little blue bird," Plasmius stated before firing a blue-violet ectoblast. Unlike last time Catalina's barrier didn't even react to the attack.

"Blue Bird?" Catalina called out, she hesitated at the nickname. Was it okay for him to call her that? Why blue bird? It wasn't insulting and it sounded almost endearing.

"I'm going to strike a little stronger, blue bird. Are you prepared?" The older ghost asked drawing Catalina's attention.

"Go ahead, hit me with your best shot," Catalina taunted. Without another word, a purple ectoblast hit her blue barrier. There was no warning when a pink blast struck the exact same spot. Catalina gritted her teeth, but the barrier held.

"Pretty impressive," the Plasmius behind her purred. Catalina couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at the compliment and the warmth that started in her chest. She almost lost her concentration when the bright red blast hit rattling her barrier a little. There was no way she was going to let anything hurt Plasmius. He believed in her; he thought she was strong. He also was very fun to be around. She wouldn't let him down. A green blast hit her barrier and it remained solid.

"We're trying a different attack. Just keep your shield steady," the attacking Plasmius ordered. Catalina nodded. A thin bolt of electricity struck her shield causing it to ripple slightly. This was followed by a large blinding pink bolt of lightning. Her shield imploded sending Catalina flying and tumbling along the ground. She landed on her knees.

Catalina snarled and slammed her fist into the ground. The thought crossed her mind that if this was a real battle that Plasmius would have been injured or killed like _them_. Catalina shook her head; _that_ wasn't her fault, there was nothing she could have done. But that wasn't true was it? It was because of her that _they_ even were there; all she had to do was tell them to stay. They would have stayed. There wouldn't have been a late night call. There wouldn't have been…

"Alma," the other ghost's voice sounded before a hand landed on her shoulder. Catalina looked up at Plasmius's red eyes that were questioning her. She blinked back memories before plastering a bold grin on her face; those memories were a long time ago, she was past them now.

"I'm sorry, my shield wasn't that strong," she said with the fake smile on her face. "I know I can do better." She got to her feet quickly.

"Let's stop for tonight," Plasmius suggested turning away.

Catalina panicked; she didn't want to be left alone with her own thoughts. "Wait," she called out flinching at the desperation in her voice. Plasmius turned to face her raising a single black eyebrow. "Don't leave just yet."

"You're tired and continuing training would only result in injury. Good night, Alma," Plasmius stated firmly. Catalina slid in front of him.

"Please, we don't have to train. Just stay with me a little longer and talk," Catalina said trying not to sound like she was begging.

"Okay blue bird. Just for an hour; then you'll be going back home," Plasmius offered pinching the bridge of his nose. Catalina sighed in relief and nodded her agreement. "Did you want to tell me about your little meltdown?"

"No," she answered quickly, maybe a little too quickly. Plasmius gave her a curious look before turning as if to leave. "I…uh…wait…I guess..no..I mean… yes. Yes I'll tell you," Catalina closed her eyes regretting what she said. "You just got to promise me that you won't think less of me," Catalina said sadly.

"You have my word," the answer came quickly.

Catalina took a deep breath in. "My family was happy like one of those you'll see on television. My parents did everything with me since I was an only child. When I was eight, they went out one night and they never came back," Catalina said quickly and vaguely, not wanting to divulge the whole story.

The older ghost narrowed his eyes clearly detecting the gaps in the story. "What happened to them?"

"I rather not say," Catalina said turning away. "I have a better idea. How did you become a ghost? Of course if this is an offensive question, you don't have to answer." She knew she was deflecting, but the line of questioning was touching sensitive topics she didn't want to talk about.

"I wouldn't go around asking ghosts that. It will be seen as rude," Plamius answered. Catalina tried not to look disappointed. "It was a lab accident due to a careless mistake from my _friend_ ," the ghost said his red eyes becoming sharp and his tone became angry. "The buffoon miscalculated and I was the one to take the consequences. Then to put salt into the wounds, while I laid dying in the hospital he married the love of my life." The air around Plasmius was becoming noticeably hotter as the ghost became madder causing Catalina to take a step away.

Catalina could hear the hurt beneath the anger; an almost familiar echo. She could feel her heart breaking for the older ghost. She was lucky that she had friends around her when she had her lab accident. She wanted to comfort him, but didn't know what to say. Without a single thought, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry. I can't believe that there are people like that out there." She could feel tears burning her eyes thinking about how lonely he must have been, how terrifying it had to be. Just like the last time she hugged him, the ghost looked absolutely shocked. Catalina broke the contact quickly, knowing that he liked his personal space. "You must hate him," she stated.

"Of course, I should have that life. And what do I get?" Plamius shouted. Catalina flinched at the sound even though the hate wasn't directed at her.

"Cool ghost powers and a brilliant apprentice that would never hurt you like that," Catalina answered quickly giving him a smile, trying to stop his descent into anger. The other ghost glared at her and she shrunk a little. "I'm sorry. You just seemed to be spiraling out of control and I wanted to stop you. But I'm really sorry to hear about your friend. That wasn't fair to you." She clenched her fists at the thought of being alone while dying in some hospital bed. "I hope he got what was coming to him and her too. If she didn't visit you she has no right to be happy. That wh-"

Plasmius grabbed her upper arms roughly and pulled her close to his face. "Don't you ever speak about her like that again. Maddie wasn't like that. She was everything to me." The words held so much venom in them that Catalina actually was scared of the older ghost. She looked away from his red eyes.

"And it's apparent that she wasn't worth your time if she forgot about you," Catalina said feeling frustrated at Plasmius for defending the clearly worthless woman. She glared at him sharply. She didn't expect the ectoblast to hit her square in the chest throwing her back. Catalina narrowed her eyes at Plasmius who held up a hand that was glowing pink.

"I bet they make the perfect couple: a couple of buffoons and traitors," Catalina growled. Another pink ectoblast flew toward her and Catalina stopped it with a shield. "She probably didn't even spend a moment worrying about you," she shouted hoping that her words stung as much as the ectoblast that hit her. She watched as Plasmius's hand began to spark before a pink bolt hit her shield. She felt burning hit her shoulder blade knocking her off her feet. She blinked at her hands that stopped her fall. She looked up from her kneeling position to see two Plasmius glaring down at her. The second joined the first. Catalina narrowed her eyes trying to keep her anger and not letting her fear overtake it. She got up to her feet and floated to even their heights.

"You're trying my patience. Just go," Plasmius said in a soft restrained tone pointing toward her home. Catalina didn't say a word, but sent a glare at Plasmius before flying off as fast as she could.

Catalina phased into her home. Landing on the floor of her entrance, Catalina screamed. How could he hit her? Catalina thought that they were allies. How could he pick some woman who betrayed him over her? Catalina stomped into her kitchen. There was only one solution for this anger. Catalina pulled out her mixing bowl and started to make what she made best: cookies.

Catalina yawned her head drooping and eyelids becoming heavy. She looked over her kitchen to the five plates of cookies and to the two bowls of cookie dough. "I might have went overboard," Catalina said now that she had calmed down. She sighed to herself, "I should apologize to Plasmius. I did ask him a rude question and he answered it, but that doesn't excuse him hitting me." Catalina sighed again feeling very tired. She knew that she should go to sleep now or risk having unsightly dark circles under her eyes. Catalina put her cookie dough away and stomped to her bedroom.

She walked past her vanity in her bedroom. Her ghostly reflection drew her attention like it always did. Catalina looked into her red eyes. It would be so easy to turn her back away from Plasmius; he hurt her. The ectoblasts still stung. Catalina lowered her head, "But what I said to him must also hurt too. He is a ghost. Ghost have some unresolved problems. That's why they stay, isn't it?" Catalina thought about this. "Ugh, I'll just have to find him and apologize." Catalina looked at a picture that she had on the edge of her mirror. In the picture, a man carried a young girl on his shoulders while a woman had her arm around the man's waist. She smiled at the bittersweet memory of the trip to the zoo. She had insisted on going to the reptile house and remembered her mother's distain at the animals within. Catalina laughed; her mother never did understood why her daughter loved the snakes in the building. Even Catalina didn't understand it, maybe it was because the limbless creatures were misunderstood or maybe it was because even without limbs snakes could survive, they could thrive. Catalina yawned once again breaking her train of thought. She shifted into her human form frowning at the white strands in her black hair before turning in for the night.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello everyone, so I hope you are all doing well. Thank you randomphandom for following and favoriting this fic. And thank you for all of you who are still reading.

-randomphandom- Thank you so much. I'm glad to hear that you like what I've done so far and how I wrote Cat.

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Catalina balanced all three platters of cookies expertly before shutting her car's door with her hip. She walked carefully to the office building making sure that not a single precious pastry fell from its carefully stacked pile. She slid into the automatic doors easily and walked to the elevator. Catalina glared at the button realizing that with her arms full of cookies she couldn't push the button easily.

"I got that, Cat," a male voice offered behind her. A hand pushed the button before the owner of the voice came into view.

"Hi Nathan, thank you by the way," Catalina greeted the taller man.

"It's no problem. Did you bake all of these?" he asked looking at the full platters.

Catalina chuckled a little embarrassed. "Yea, I did. I love to bake. It's a good stress reliever and its fun."

"hmm, what could have you so upset?" Nathan asked as the elevator doors opened and the pair walked in.

"It's nothing. I said some things I shouldn't have said and I need to apologize. That's all," Catalina answered with a sigh. "Though I'm not so sure I'm ready to forgive him yet."

"If you ask me, if he made you that upset, then he doesn't deserve your time," Nathan said firmly a frown on his face.

"I suppose you're right," Catalina said softly. She looked at her reflection in the shiny elevator walls, her brown eyes stared back at her. If she concentrated enough, she thought she could see red instead of brown. Which only made her think about Plasmius. Nathan was right, but at the same time if she pushed Plasmius away, she would be alone with this secret. Her hands shook slightly; she didn't want to be alone.

"Cat? Aren't you coming off on this level?" Nathan asked. Catalina smiled and nodded jerkily. She could see the look of concern cross the man's face before he also grinned at her as she balanced the cookies expertly. She started to walk to the employee breakroom when Nathan called out. "I'm going to practice for the marathon this evening in the gym downstairs. Did you want to join me?" the man asked.

"Sure, that sounds fine," Catalina answered deciding that Plasmius probably wouldn't show up today because he was absolutely angry at her yesterday.

"That's great. I'll see you then. You look lovely by the way," the man said before hurrying off to wherever he needed to be.

"Thanks," Catalina answered automatically before turning to her next challenge: the doorknob to the employee breakroom. She frowned to herself trying to think about how to balance the cookies with one hand and open the door with the other. She shifted one platter carefully and extended her free fingertips to the door. As her fingertips brushed the doorknob, footsteps behind her startled her causing her to jolt the precarious platters in her arms.

"Snickerdoodles," the newcomer's voice called out in surprise before he caught the falling platters.

"Sugar Cookies actually, Mr. Masters," Catalina said with a giggle. "Thank you. You're pretty fast …and have good reflexes," Catalina noted slowing down as she tried to figure out how the older man could catch both platters when he sounded like he was a distance away.

"Thank you for the compliment. You're taking these to the breakroom?" Vlad asked trying to redirect the woman's attention.

"Yes, since I have a free hand now, I'll opened the door for you," Catalina said opening said door and letting Vlad into the simple breakroom.

"Is there a special occasion for these cookies?" Vlad asked setting down his two trays down on one of the plain countertops.

"No, baking is a way that I relieve stress and sometimes boredom," Catalina answered setting down her own platter. "Before you ask…I can clearly see the question in your eyes… I said some things I shouldn't have said to …someone I know." Catalina hoped that the sentence would be enough to stave off her employer's curiosity. She looked up at him and she could have sworn that he leaned forward ever so slightly as if he wanted to know more. "I said hurtful things in anger and honestly, I didn't mean any of them. I just wanted him to hurt. That's horrible of me. I'm going to apologize if, I mean, when I see him again."

Catalina could tell that Mr. Masters was confused. She sighed to herself figuring that her employer was probably thinking the same thing Nathan was. "I'm sure he'll understand," the older man replied at last slowly as if he was thinking through each word.

"Yeah, I'll look for him tomorrow. He's probably upset and I already told Nathan that I'll meet him down at the gym this evening," Catalina said with a shrug. "But that's enough about my schedule. We need to talk about yours."

Vlad nodded his head to urge her to continue. "First things first. The boys in research and development have an exciting breakthrough to talk to you about. It must be something really exciting; so exciting they won't even tell me what it is. That's okay because I snuck in there and it's some new coolant for the engine of the Master Speeder. After that , of course it's a luncheon for our investors. And your afternoon is free for now."

"Thank you, Catalina. There are reports I need you to work on and turn in before this evening," Vlad said as the pair left the breakroom.

"I'll have them done by lunch," Catalina said confidently. "Don't worry about them. Is there any other assignments you have for me?"

"I'll inform you if I'm in need of anything else," Vlad stated.

"Okay thank you again for the help. Be sure to eat some cookies. They're delicious; not to toot my own horn," Catalina said excitedly. "I better get to work on those reports." Catalina waved before darting out of the room and heading to her desk.

She fired up her computer. She narrowed her eyes slightly as she concentrated on her work. She finished one report before someone called her name. Catalina rose her gaze to look at the newcomer. "Hey Amelia, I'm surprised you're here," Catalina said honestly, "I thought you stayed downstairs all the time."

"If you worked with Matthew, you'll be staying downstairs, too. That man is fine," Amelia said with a grin.

Catalina chuckled at the remark, "I'm sure I would. What brings you to my desk?"

"I was just checking up on you. You know to make sure you didn't become some sort of mutant freak," Amelia stated leaning forward as if she was inspecting the halfa. "You don't have an extra head or fingers do you?"

"No, Amelia. I'm perfectly fine. The same as I was before," Catalina said, "Besides a superhero can never reveal their secret identity." Catalina chuckled to herself pleased with the flawless lie. "I bought some hair dye so I can fix my hair. Honestly, I can't stand these white strands," Catalina admitted pulling said hair with a frown.

"You should go crazy and dye your hair an entirely different color. How about blonde?" Amelia suggested.

"How about purple? I'm sure Mr. Masters would be thrilled," Catalina said with a sarcastic tone.

Amelia laughed, "I'm sure that's not within dress code. Oh, I better get going. Matthew is waiting for me." Catalina chuckled waving the other woman off. Rolling her eyes, she got back to work. The reports Vlad asked for were in his office before lunch like Catalina promised and the woman was leaving the office for lunch.

She walked down the street to the small café. She grinned to herself anticipating the café's signature turkey sandwich. Catalina entered the café with a spring in her step. The cashier saw the woman walked in, "Good Morning, Catalina. The usual?"

"Yes, that would be great," Catalina said joyfully leaning on the counter.

"New hairdo?" the cashier asked motioning toward Catalina.

"Yea, I'm not feeling it though. I'll be dying it back to its natural color. I don't know what I was thinking dying it white. I never wanted to dye my hair because I love my natural color."

"Was it Amelia? She always manages to convince you to do crazy things," the cashier asked handing Catalina the turkey sandwich on freshly baked bread.

"No not this time. This was my own crazy idea," Catalina lied easily enough taking her meal.

"Okay enjoy your meal," the cashier said as Catalina paid and sat by herself in the corner of the café. The sandwich was as good as always.

"I need to learn how to bake bread," Catalina commented to herself as she munched on the sandwich. After she was done with her lunch, Catalina headed back to the office. There was plenty to do, but it was just a normal day in the office. Once five o'clock came around, Catalina shut off her computer and headed to the gym that was a floor above the lobby.

Catalina entered the woman's locker room. She went to locker 42 and opened it. She had put in an exercise outfit into the locker days ago and had forgotten to use it or even to take it home. This wasn't such a bad thing because it was here now. Catalina dressed quickly and walked quickly into the gym.

Catalina hopped onto a treadmill and started it up. She increased the speed until she reached a comfortable jog. "You're here early," Nathan's voice called drawing Catalina's attention.

"I finished my work and decided to come on down," Catalina said, "You know, start to warm up."

Nathan gave her an odd look, "You're going pretty fast for a warm up."

Catalina looked down at her treadmill to read the speed. Her eyes widened at the number on the machine. It wasn't anything unnaturally fast, it just was her normal top speed and she was feeling as through she was just on an easy jog. "Oh, I didn't say that I was bored so I decided to start going faster." She chuckled to herself, "I don't think I can go faster than this." She gave the man a half-grin and started to breath heavily to show that she was pushing it.

"hmm, I'm just going to get dress and start," Nathan stated as he started to walk off. Catalina nodded that she had heard and continued to run on her treadmill. After a couple of minutes, Nathan was running beside her. "You look like you're already prepared for any marathon."

Catalina shrugged. "I was in track when I was in high school," she lied; she wasn't even shocked how easy these lies came to her mind.

"You kept yourself in shape. You look good."

Catalina narrowed her eyes at this comment. It seemed harmless enough, but his tone just made her skin crawl. "Yeah, so I've been training quite a lot. I had two days off so I've been really working on this."

Catalina didn't look at the man who seemed to be raking his eyes over her form. "Oh, I just remembered. Mr. Masters needed me to check up on one of his investors," she fibbed not liking his scrutiny. She knew what the man was thinking and she didn't want any part of it.

"Surely, Mr. Masters can wait till tomorrow," Nathan said almost disappointed.

"I'm sorry, but this is very important to him," Catalina said cutting her program short and hurrying away. She quickly got her clothes from the locker and put them in her gym bag.

"Wait, Cat," Nathan called behind her. Catalina looked behind her to see Nathan following her. "Why don't I come with you and we can eat dinner together."

Catalina sighed wishing that the man would leave her alone. "Catalina, Nathan. Is everything alright?" Vlad's cool voice asked. His dark blue eyes looked from one to the other.

"Mr. Masters, I was just going to call that investor that you asked me to check up on," Catalina said hoping her tone could convey that she needed him to agree with her. Of course, she had put on her best smile.

The older man's eyes looked into her pleading brown ones. "Oh, yes, of course. I was looking for you to see how that went. If you will excuse us, Nathan." The last sentence was said in a tone that didn't offer any room for argument.

"Sure, Mr. Masters. Maybe next time, Cat," Nathan said his tone held a tint of disappointment, but the man left without any incident.

Once the man was in the elevator, Catalina sighed in relief. "Are you going to explain to me what happened?" Vlad asked raising a silver eyebrow.

Catalina chuckled awkwardly, "No, it's alright. Nothing I can't handle." She gave him a crooked grin and putting her hands on her hips. The older man narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to see through her words. "I should get going," Catalina said quickly not wanting the man to see that Nathan's praise had made her uncomfortable. Nathan could be accused of sexual harassment, but simple compliments weren't any cause to get someone else fired. "I'll be seeing you Monday, Mr. Masters," Catalina said quickly hurrying off to the elevator.

She didn't hear the other man's footsteps and hoped that meant her employer wasn't going to follow and ask more questions. She spun as she entered the elevator. Vlad was nowhere in sight which was good. The elevator doors closed and Catalina shifted into her ghost form. Going invisible and intangible, she floated up through the roof and to the parking lot. She phased into the driver seat landing softly. Catalina changed herself back into human and drove to her home.

She entered her home and she locked her door behind her. She took off her heels by the door and walked barefoot into her living room.

Sitting on her couch with his perfect posture was Plasmius. Catalina stiffened; she wasn't prepared to see him today. She put her hand to her chest where his ectoblast had hit her yesterday. The physical pain had long since disappeared, but the feeling of betrayal didn't. Catalina gave the ghost a weak smile. She told herself that she would forgive him she reminded herself. "I didn't think you'll come today," she tried to sound nonchalant, but her voice betrayed her relief that the ghost didn't leave for good. She stalked her way to the loveseat that was perpendicular to the couch.

Plasmius's red eyes followed her. "I wasn't going to come. I, however, need your assistance," he said anger was just below the surface. Catalina could hear it loud and clear and she could see it in his eyes.

"Before you begin, I just wanted to say: I'm sorry," Catalina said a huge weight went off her chest. "I was insensitive and said things to hurt you on purpose. It was horrible and I hope you forgive me," she continued unable to meet the ghost's gaze.

"Apology accepted," Plasmius said smoothly. "But you will not do that again."

"Of course, Maddie will remain off limits," Catalina said out loud, "Perhaps it is better that our pasts aren't discussed. Can we make a deal?"

Plasmius thought about this, "Yes, that seems fair and will prevent future arguments." Catalina held out her hand and Plasmius gripped it with his own black-gloved hand. It was a firm, quick handshake similar to those of business men.

Catalina smiled honestly this time and hoped that the argument they had yesterday was now water under the bridge. "So what did you need my help for?" Catalina asked as she changed to her ghost form.

"I was going to go on an exhibition deep into the ghost zone and I need someone to have my back. Skulker is busy so that leaves only one of my allies that I trust," the ghost said nonchalantly.

"You trust me?" Catalina asked feeling flattered that the stronger ghost trusted her with his life. "Are you sure about that? I mean, I just became a ghost about three, four days ago," Catalina asked feeling unsure.

Plasmius smirked amused, "It won't be a dangerous trip. You're just a precaution."

"Oh, sounds fun. I guess the next question I have is what is the Ghost Zone?" Catalina asked curious.

"The Ghost Zone is an alternate form of reality, home to all ghosts, and made entirely of ectoplasm. It's essentially the flipside of the coin to this world," Plasmius explained. Catalina nodded that she understood.

"So is that where you live?" Catalina asked.

"Yes," Plasmius answered, but Catalina could hear a marginal pause before the answer. Plasmius also pressed his lips minutely which was almost similar to what Vlad Masters did when he lied to her. Catalina didn't comment but put it to memory alongside Skulker's comment about halfas and Plasmius's inability to set off her ghost sense. Plasmius was a strange ghost, but she didn't have much information about ghosts so she would put her curiosity aside.

"So how long is this trip going to take?" Catalina feeling excited to discover this new place.

"A couple of days," Plasmius answered, "we should be back by Sunday evening. I assume this will fit in your schedule."

"Yea, I'm good," Catalina nodded, "But I'm going to pack some food. Do you need some as well? Do ghost even eat? They can't starve to death." She started to ramble as she walked to her kitchen. There was no wall separating the two rooms so she could still see Plasmius.

"No, I don't need food, but if feel the need to pack for me, you may," Plasmius answered. There was that pause again. Catalina frowned a little, but decided to pack some food for him as well. It was just simple things like bread and peanut butter. A bag of the more than plentiful cookies and crackers joined the sandwich material on her counter.

"Plasmius, can you go into the hall and in the closet there is a backpack? Please and thank you," Catalina called out looking for a pair of water bottles in her fridge.

"Do you think you have enough food?" Plamius asked amused. Catalina shut her refrigerator with two bottles of water in hand.

"That looks enough for me. What are you planning on eating?" she said jokingly motioning to the large pile of nonperishables that filled her counter. "Thank you for the backpack by the way," Catalina said pointing at the forest green bag in Plasmius's hands. "I guess I can share with you," Catalina said with a sigh and a shrug.

"That's very generous of you," Plasmius answered sarcastically knowing that she had planned to share it from the beginning. "But I'm not planning to leave until tomorrow morning."

"What?" Catalina said dropping her now full bag on the counter feeling a little foolish for jumping to conclusions and start packing. She pouted, "I guess I'm putting these back for now." She pulled out the water bottles to return them to the fridge. Plasmius chuckled at the disappointment in her tone. Catalina also smiled knowing that she had a tendency to jump to conclusions. "Then I'll be seeing you bright and early tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, I'll be back around six in the morning tomorrow," Plasmius said.

"I'll be ready at five," Catalina said confidently.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I was debating whether or not to split this chapter. In the end I decided to keep it together. Thank you mangadragon10122 for favoriting and thank you Joker's Lover for following. Enjoy this chapter.

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Catalina tried to sleep, really tried, but her excitement for this strange adventure into this so called Ghost Zone kept her up. She tossed and turned for an hour before giving up and heading to her bathroom to try and dye her hair. Catalina knew that it was vain, but the two tones in her hair drove her crazy. Following the directions on the package, Catalina rinsed of the dye in the allotted time. She hopped to her mirror excited to see the final results. She narrowed her eyes as the white of her bangs was still there. It was as if all the dye just slipped out of her hair. "Seriously," Catalina growled at her reflection. "I could always cut the hair off and maybe it would grow back black," Catalina thought out loud. She shook her head deciding against the action. Knowing her luck, her hair wouldn't grow back.

Catalina huffed and threw the package of hair dye into the wastebasket. She turned into her ghost form before gathering blue ectoenergy to her hand and shooting it into the wastebasket. The offending dye was sent burning. Catalina smirked as the package burned. Dusting her hands off, Catalina skipped out of the bathroom. She looked at her clock and groaned when she read the time: midnight. She still had five hours. Catalina walked to her living room and dropped her weight on the couch. She leant over the arm of the couch, grumbling to herself. She closed her eyes for a moment.

"Alma," Plasmius voice called. Catalina opened her eyes stunned as she jolted awake. She blinked confused; she was just awake, wasn't she. "I thought you'll be ready at five," Plasmius said amused.

Catalina blinked trying to focus on Plasmius's voice. She chuckled, "I might have underestimated my sleepiness. But don't worry, I'm all ready now." Catalina jumped to her feet almost bumping into Plasmius who was standing close to the couch. "Let me get my bag," Catalina said excitedly as she zipped to the kitchen grabbing the cool water bottles from the refrigerator and her green backpack. "Let's get going. We're running out of daylight," Catalina said shifting back into Alma as she walked into the living room.

"Calm down, Alma. Before we leave, I need to give you something," Plasmius stated holding out a simple black band to the female halfa.

"Oooo, I love presents," Catalina said floating up a little and taking the band from Plasmius. "What is it? A bracelet?"

"Yes, it's very important that you keep it on at all times," Plasmius started to explain as Catalina slipped the thing on. The man paused and gave her a strange look, "aren't you going to ask why I'm giving it to you?"

"Nope. I'm assuming that you're giving it to me for a good reason. I trust you," Catalina said smiling and admiring the simple band that was charming and hid well under her sleeves.

"You trust me," the ghost repeated as if he didn't believe her. Catalina nodded her head spinning the jewelry around her wrist. "The band masks your ghost signature," Plasmius explained as if he hadn't paused, "It would make you harder to track."

"Which means I can sneak up on Skulker," Catalina grinned at the band on her arm. "Let's see who is the hunter when I get ahold of him." She chuckled to herself.

Plasmius sighed, "I do need him. He is one of my allies." Catalina rolled her eyes.

Catalina chuckled, "I know, I know. Don't worry I won't hurt him…much."

"Getting back to the case at point, I will lead us to the portal to the Ghost Zone. However, there is a condition," Plasmius stated pausing at the last word.

"What is the condition?" Catalina asked floating to even their heights.

"Well, there are two. First, you have to listen to everything I say. If you don't you can lose whatever is left of your life. Second, the location of this portal is information only I need to know."

"You mean you're going to teleport us," Catalina deduced feeling anxious to teleport.

"No, I have yet to attempt to teleport another living thing with me so we will be flying," Plasmius explained. Catalina slumped her shoulders knowing what the ghost was implying. The black-haired ghost held out a blindfold. Catalina groaned taking the material from his hands.

…..

"Are we there yet?" Catalina asked keeping her hand on Plasmius's shoulder not wanting to lose her guide.

"Not yet. And don't start with that," Plasmius said. Catalina chuckled at the thought of annoying the older ghost.

"Fine, what's your favorite color?" Catalina asked turning her head to face where she assumed Plasmius was. She could hear the other ghost sigh and she could practically see him pinching the bridge of his nose. She chuckled at this mental image. "I'm just trying to start a conversation," she murmured. "My favorite is green or a dark blue. Green is so alive, but it's calming at the same time. Blue is mysterious like the night sky and it's also calming."

"It is ironic how for a woman with boundless energy, you like calm colors," Plasmius noted with amusement. "I prefer the color red myself," Plasmius said, "It's a strong color."

"Is that why your ectoblasts are normally pink or red?" Catalina asked tilting her head slightly.

"No, favorite colors have nothing to do with what color your ectoblasts are," Plasmius explained, "The color is an indication of the power and manipulability of the energy. Blue ectoenergy is the weakest but it can be molded easily and retains its form. Red and pink have an equal balance between these two traits and green energy is the strongest, but it's the most volatile."

Catalina nodded her head impressed at the other ghost's knowledge. "So you're saying that I'm weak," Catalina said with a little joking tone.

"No, you just think too much on making your ectoblasts," Plasmius said. Catalina nodded. "Blue ectoenergy is very beneficial for shields though. It can take a lot of hits."

"Thank you for the compliment," Catalina said with a grin realizing that the man was talking about her shield from the other day. Catalina quieted for a moment feeling proud that the other ghost acknowledged her skills.

"We're going to go intangible to get to the portal," Plasmius informed her. Catalina nodded turning intangible as she felt Plasmius sink lower and followed suit. "Just a little farther, Alma," Plasmius coaxed. "You can become tangible now," he ordered and Catalina followed the command. She felt a solid floor beneath her feet before the blindfold was removed from her eyes.

Catalina looked around at the laboratory that Plasmius had led her into. She couldn't tell what half of the objects in the room were and what they would be used for. There was one thing she knew and that was the metallic room gave off a cold feeling. But in the middle of all of the cold harshness was a simple wooden picture frame on a lab table which drew her attention. Catalina was going to take a closer look at the picture when Plasmius called her name sharply. The female halfa spun quickly to face the other ghost. Her eyes widened at the sight of the whirling green portal. Her jaw might have dropped slightly.

She walked closer to it looking to the right of the portal where Plasmius stood. "Can we go in?" she asked her voice holding wonder in it.

"I'll go in first to make sure the coast is clear and then you could go in," Plasmius said, "Just don't touch anything."

"You have my word," Catalina said with a sloppy salute.

Plasmius smirked at the display before disappearing into the green swirls. Catalina leaned forward using all her self-restraint not to go in after him or touch the shimmering surface. The ghost man reappeared quickly. "Come on in," came the command. Catalina didn't need any other prompting and zipped past the ghost and into the portal.

She didn't know what to expect, but she had expected to feel something as she passed through the portal. But crossing into the ghost zone was as if she had just walked across the room. While the crossing over to the Ghost Zone was nothing special, just floating in the Ghost Zone was an experience. Catalina smiled softly at how much at home she felt. She felt like she belonged here in this strange green realm. Energy seemed to be crawling right underneath her skin. Catalina looked at the various floating doors and islands that dotted the green space. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Plasmius's voice said from her side.

"It is. I'm actually speechless," Catalina said softly closing her eyes to feel that strange sense of comfort.

"That would be a first," Plasmius said and Catalina chuckled. "We should get moving though." Plasmius floated ahead of Catalina. She followed after him.

"Do all of the doors lead to the human world?" Catalina asked pointing to the various doors that floated.

"Actually, they lead into a ghost's home. There are only two permanent portals to the human world. The one we entered and one in a small town which isn't important now. Natural portals can open up, but they are only temporary," Plasmius explained.

"Cool, you know a lot about this ghost stuff. I guess that makes sense since you are a ghost, but still," Catalina began to speak, "I don't know where I was going with that." She shrugged and continued to float beside Plasmius looking at each door and island they passed. It was interesting to see how each door looked different. "Where do you live?" Catalina asked distractedly before noticing what she said, "I.. just forget that I asked that. I'm not a stalker, just for the record," Catalina rambled mentally banging her head. She stopped her mental berating when she heard Plasmius chuckle. "Sooo, I'm hungry. Are you hungry?" Catalina asked.

"We can stop on that island for a while and continue after you eat," Plasmius answered pointing to a small floating rock.

"I'll race you," Catalina said before she zoomed past him to the island. Just as she was going to land Plasmius appeared with a smirk. Catalina rolled her eyes as she realized that the ghost had teleported. "I just let you win," Catalina said smugly as she touched down.

"Of course you did, Alma," Plasmius said with a smirk.

"I'm glad you saw that too. You want a sandwich or a cookie? Or both?" Catalina asked setting down her backpack and opening it.

"Alma," Plasmius said as if a warning. She pulled out a bag of cookies and tossing it at the ghost. Plasmius caught it easily without crushing the pastries inside.

"Plasmius, I don't want to eat by myself. Just one cookie. That's all I ask," Catalina pleaded folding her hands together. The man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He opened the bag to pull out a cookie and Catalina made her sandwich. She watched as the ghost took a bite leaning forward waiting for a response. She nibbled on her sandwich as the man chewed on the cookie.

"Must you gawk at me while I'm eating?" Plasmius asked. Catalina looked down at her sandwich. If she had been human, her face would have turned a bright red.

"I was wondering what you thought of them," Catalina responded embarrassed.

"I'm not a fan of sweets, but they are okay," the ghost said indifferently. Catalina jumped up excited.

"Thank you," she said excitedly floating closer to Plasmius who held out his hand keeping Catalina at a distance. "Sorry," Catalina apologizing realizing that she was going to violate his personal space before floating back down. "Did you want anything else? I got chips, crackers, stuff for PB sandwiches," Catalina listed watching as the man made a disgusted face.

"I'll be fine," Plasmius stated.

"You're positive?" Catalina asked tilting her head and frowning. "I packed a whole lot. It probably will slow us down if we don't eat it," Catalina trailed off.

Plasmius held out his hand and Catalina smiled knowing that she had worn his defense down. She handed him a bag of chips before opening one for herself. She munched on the salty snack with a pleased look. "So what exactly are we doing in the ghost zone? Not that I'm complaining. I like it here."

"There's a small piece of land that has a variety of plants that have medicinal purposes and would be beneficial for me to collect," Plasmius answered finishing his chips.

"Sounds interesting. Well, I'm full. How about you? Oh yeah, you're a ghost. You don't get hungry. I didn't mean any harm by that by the way," Catalina said putting the garbage into a plastic bag to toss later.

"We should be moving on," Plasmius stated before taking off evidently not offended. Catalina flew behind him. The two traveled in silence for a half hour before Catalina had to break the silence.

"Since peanut butter sandwiches isn't your thing, what is your favorite food?" Catalina asked.

"Seafood," Plasmius answered looking at the halfa for a response.

"Yuck, I hate seafood," Catalina said sticking out her tongue. The ghost frowned at her. "That's okay though. We can still be friends." Catalina said. "I personally like Italian food, and Chinese, and Mexican. Can't cook any, but at least I can bake." Catalina rambled.

Plasmius chuckled at the female halfa. "So you don't know how to cook at all?"

"I didn't say that. I meant that I can't cook them well," Catalina said frowning. "I'm learning though. Baking is a hobby of mine so of course I'm good at it. What do you do for fun?"

Plasmius was silent for a moment, "I study the Ghost Zone and its artifacts as well as studying the flora that grows here."

"Cool," Catalina said. She was about to speak again when her core warmed sending a red hot stream of steam out of her mouth. Plasmius's eyes flicked to her before looking past her. Catalina looked around quickly looking for the ghost that set off her ghost sense.

"Lord Plasmius," a male voice called out. She spun to see the ghost that was behind her, tensing up ready for a fight. Catalina relaxed noting that the newcomer's voice sounded friendly or at least not confrontational. Catalina studied the newcomer. The ghost had long silver hair and red eyes. He had a green crown on his head and a large green amulet around his neck. "I wasn't aware that you'll be traversing through my realm." Catalina could hear slight animosity in the other ghost's tone. She shifted slightly ready to strike if the ghost made any aggressive movements. Plasmius didn't seem fazed by the other ghost.

"I'm sincerely apologetic for not informing you, Prince Aragon. My intention was to head to the Spector Forest and wasn't aware that my path would be within the borders of your kingdom," Plasmius said smoothly. He gave the other ghost a fanged grin; Catalina wondered if he was threatening the prince.

Prince Aragon rose his chin, "I'll let you pass this one time in respect to our truce. Do not come again without notifying me first." The medieval ghost turned before leaving Plasmius and Catalina.

"What was that about?" Catalina asked softly as if the other ghost could still hear her.

Plasmius continued his path. "Prince Aragon and I have a mutual agreement. I can pass through his realm undisturbed with prior notification and he gets to keep his kingdom," Plasmius explained shrugging as if it wasn't anything important.

"Sounds like there is some history there. Maybe you can tell me sometime?" Catalina said. "I do love a good story."

"Perhaps another day," Plasmius answered. Catalina shrugged not feeling hurt about it.

"That's fine. We can talk about something else," Catalina answered. "As soon as I think of something." Catalina was silent as she floated beside the other ghost. "For the Ghost Zone, there aren't many ghosts. Do they sleep in the day and roam at night? Wait that can't be right because ghosts don't need to sleep. Why haven't we seen any ghosts besides Prince Aragon?"

Plasmius patiently waited out Catalina's ramble before speaking, "Most ghosts in the Ghost Zone are harmless. Even with your ectoblast you could destroy them. Ghost also have a high sense of self-preservation, so when they sense ghosts stronger than them, they run."

"So you're a very powerful ghost then if no ghost has come close enough to set off my ghost sense," Catalina reasoned.

"I have enough respect in the Ghost Zone to prevent most ghosts from harassing us," Plasmius bragged obviously pleased that the halfa thought highly of him.

"I knew I picked the perfect teacher," Catalina said flying over Plasmius so she was now on his right.

Plasmius's eyes followed her flight amused, "Last I checked, I chose you."

"A smart choice as well," Catalina said with a nod.

"We should stop for today. You need to rest before you expend all of your energy," Plasmius suggested.

"Okay you're the boss. Where will we be sleeping?" Catalina asked. Plasmius pointed in front of them. Catalina saw a large floating island with a small forest on it. "Looks comfortable," Catalina commented sarcastically. Plasmius didn't bother to respond but continued forward until the two landed. Catalina dropped her backpack to the ground. The trees overhead glowed an odd green color just like everything else in the Ghost Zone.

"Before you turn in for the night, I want you to practice on your ectoblasts. They are your main method of offense. It would be wise for you to at least be able to make a decent attack," Plasmius said.

Catalina nodded and started shooting blue ectoblasts into a nearby tree.

DP~DP~DP~

Eris floated to the her seat in the large viewing area. Her notepad was already at her desk. The ghost woman pushed her blue hair behind her ear and crossed her legs. More ghosts appeared filling up the rows upon rows of sitting till the entire viewing area was filled with eyeball ghosts. One such ghost stood on the stage. "Welcome all Observants and Recorders," the Observant stated. "I have called everyone to gather and observe a new change in the timeline brought about by the third halfa." The speaking Observant became silent and walked off the stage as a large spherical bubble formed in the center stage.

The violet surface of the bubble rippled and a picture of a young black-haired teenage boy standing in front of a castle filled the previously blank bubble. The look of absolute devastation was evident on his face. Eris smirked at the image she had seen so many time.

The halfa walked to the door of the castle, his shoulders slumped as if the weight of the world were on them. The teenage boy stood at the door for a moment or two as if he was debating on whether to knock on it or not. He rose his hand to the door, but before his fist could reach the door, it swung open. A woman with mostly black hair and white bangs opened the door. The smile that was on her face faded at the sight of the distressed teen. An older man appeared behind the woman. "I heard what happened, Daniel," the man's distorted voice said. The teen boy didn't say anything.

"What happen?" the woman asked. Danny looked away from the two older half-ghosts. The older man leaned toward the woman whispering something only she could hear. The woman's eyes softened at the teen.

"Come in, Daniel," the oldest halfa said as the woman stepped away giving enough space for the youngest to enter. Danny entered with his head hung down.

The image blurred and was replaced with another. The woman from earlier was standing in the doorway to the teen's bedroom. "Danny, you need to come out. Vlad is worried about you and I am too," the woman said cautiously stepping into the room.

"Go away, Cat. I want to be left alone," Danny grumbled turning away from her. "If Plasmius is so worried, he can come get me."

The woman sighed taking a couple of more steps into the room before sitting on the edge of the bed beside the teen halfa. "Danny, I know how you feel," she said softly. "I was younger than you when I lost my parents."

The teen's blue eyes looked at the woman who now was also bowing her head. "How did you survive it? I feel as though I'm dying," the teen asked softly.

The woman grimaced. "I became angry. I shut people out," the woman admitted, "I hated the ones who took them away from me." Her fists clenched in her lap. "I wanted them dead," she snarled. She shook her head. "But that's not important. What is important is that while I was alone in my grief, you have me and Vlad. You don't have to face this alone," Catalina said reaching out and holding onto the younger halfa's hands. "Don't push us away," the woman begged, her brown eyes pleading.

The teen's blue eyes filled with tears. Catalina released his hands to wrap her arms around the shaking teen's shoulders. "It hurts so much," Danny whimpered.

"I know," the woman replied running her fingers through his black hair.

"But we are here to make it better," Vlad's voice added dropping his invisibility showing that he had been in the room for a while. He put a hand on Danny's shoulder before Catalina narrowed her eyes at him. Getting the message, the man knelt to wrap his arms around the two of them.

The image blurred again. Once it stopped Eris could see the image of the three halfas in their ghost form floating in front of an active ghost portal. "Are you sure you need me to go?" Catalina asked softly sending a concerned look to the youngest halfa.

"We'll be fine," Vlad answered, "I need you to gather those plants though."

The woman looked once again to the youngest halfa."Don't burn down the mansion while I'm gone," Catalina said with a fake smile.

"We won't," Vlad replied. Catalina looked from Danny who remained silent to Vlad.

The woman sighed, "Just be careful, please." She looked defeated but turned away and floated into the portal. Once the woman was gone the older halfa turned to the younger. Both halfas shifted into their human forms.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Daniel?" Vlad asked. "There is no going back."

"I'm sure, I just want the pain to go away," the teen said despairingly. "Please Vlad."

The older halfa resigned and pointed to the metal bed. Danny laid on it and Vlad strapped him in. "Danny, are you sure?" the man asked putting on a blue apron and face mask. The younger halfa nodded firmly. Vlad turned around putting on a pair of metal gaunlets. Vlad held his hands up and the gauntlets glowed a pink color and claws sprouted. Without a moment's hesitation, Vlad thrusted the clawed gauntlet into the teens chest. He strained a little before he pulled out a ghostly form. The white-haired being opened its bright green eyes before pulling out the gauntlets in his chest.

Vlad was thrown against the wall the gauntlets falling from his hands. Vlad was stunned for a moment giving Phantom enough time to pick of the gauntlets. The ghost boy gave Vlad a feral grin before ripping the older man of his ghost half. Vlad hit the wall of the lab and watched as Plasmius hit the other. The older man's ghost half was stuned before Phantom tried to overshadow him.

Plasmius's eyes glowed green before the ghost turned into Danny Phantom. Phantom's skin turned blue and his white hair into fire. The ghost boy screamed in pain clutching his head. Vlad watched in fear shaking. The floating ghost turned his red eyes to Vlad.

The now human man backed away slowly. Phantom gathered energy to his hands. A bright green ectoblast shot toward Vlad. Green met blue in a brilliant flash. In front of Vlad was a bright blue shield and a very conflicted Catalina in ghost form. Danny narrowed his eyes at being stopped. " Stop, Danny, this isn't you," the woman stated firmly.

The ghost boy paid her no heed and turned to the human boy huddled in the corner. Catalina disappeared from her location in a swirl of energy and stood in front of the human Danny. "Danny, we can fix this. Just calm down," the woman begged holding her hands up in a peaceful gesture.

The phantom narrowed his eyes before bursting out of the lab. The castle crumbled leaving a blue energy dome still standing. Catalina let the shield drop before turning to Vlad. "I'm sorry. I thought it would be best for him," the man stated his shoulders slumping.

The woman's fist clenched and she frowned. Catalina took a deep breath before regaining a neutral expression. "I'll get him back. And we'll talk about this later," the woman said before launching herself in the air following the trail of Danny's ghost signature.

She was led into a city, burning. The smoke in the air was choking. She lowered herself so she could breathe. "Danny," she called panicked. Red hot steam passed her lips and she spun to face the ghost. "Danny, come back with me. We'll make this better. I promise," the woman said holding out her hand begging the teen to take it.

A green ectoblast shot her backwards. The woman straightened herself putting her hand on her smoking shoulder. "I won't fight you, Danny. And I know that deep down you don't want to hurt me." Another ectoblast collided with the woman throwing her back. "Come back. We'll get through this together," the woman begged. Another ectoblast connected flinging her to the ground. The woman pushed herself to her feet. "Danny. Listen. I'm begging you," the woman shouted tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Another blast knocked her off her feet. The woman grimaced as she got to her feet slowly. This continued for minutes; the woman tried to speak to the evil ghost and he would attack. After a hit to her stomach the woman slid along the ground on her back.

She didn't move for a moment and Eris who was watching leaned forward wondering if the halfa had died. The observer was disappointed when the woman got up slowly ectoplasm dripping from various blows. She had an arm around her stomach as ectoplasm dripped through her fingers. She was bent forward, red eyes pleading to the ghost floating in front of her. Phantom rose a white-gloved hand to her face. A dark green almost black energy gathered in his hand. "Danny, don't do this. You'll regret it," the woman said softly. The boy narrowed his eyes at her, but held still for a moment.

"The Danny you know is gone," the ghost growled.

"Plasmius, if you are still there, you need to go back to Vlad," the woman said changing tactics. The ghost's eyes glowed green before the black energy in his hand hit her in the head. The woman was tossed like a rag doll, tumbling along the ground until she came to a stop. White rings formed around the woman's waist and changed the half-ghost back to human. Phantom floated over to hover over the woman. Red blood formed a puddle beneath her head outlined in green ectoplasm.

The ghost looked at the sight his eyes going completely red. "Catalina," he said his voice lower than it was a moment ago. The ghost lowered himself to the ground landing in the red puddle. He put two fingers to her throat. The ghost's shoulders slumped and his red eyes widened. He shook the woman and her body was limp. He picked her up bridal style before flying back the way he came.

Phantom landed in the ruins of the lab carrying the limp woman. Both human Vlad and Danny stepped back looking fearfully at the ghost's package. "Help me," the ghost asked holding out the broken woman.

The bubble turned back to purple before shrinking. The Observant from before walked forward. "As you can see Clockwork was right..again," he said to the audience. "The female halfa can stop the youngest halfa's reign of terror." Eris could feel the relief of the Observants in the room and she frowned. "Recorders, please make note of this change." Eris nodded and tried to look pleased with this result. "With that you may all be dismissed. Crisis has be adverted." Eris was the first to fly out of the hearing room.

In the green space of the Ghost Zone, she flew as fast as she could. She knew this path well. The normal green darkening becoming almost black. A single island floated in the darkness filled with ruins. The female ghost landed looking at the ruins that were cloaked in shadows. "Master Xaoc," she called out. The shadows along the walls and ground gathered pulsating into a towering form. It was vaguely humanoid with what appeared to be a head and shoulders. "Master. It seems like we have a problem." The shape pulsated agitated. "It appears that Clockwork has interfered again," Eris said frowning. "The evil Dan Phantom was stopped. I know that he is the only one worthy enough to house you, but that seems like an impossibility. The halfas are still a threat and worst Clockwork has let another live." The shadow turned a deep red color. "She was their sacrificial lamb," Eris grumbled. "She reached Plasmius while he and Phantom were merged," Eris snarled infuriated. She paused as her master spoke again. "That's true, Master. She isn't a threat now." She paused as he spoke again. "Plasmius is protecting her," she said frustrated. Her eyes widened at the shadow's words. "I can't take on both," Eris said shaking her head. "O-o-of course, Master. I won't fail you. You can once again rule the Ghost Zone," Eris stuttered. She bowed as the shadows dispersed leaving her alone. She straightened herself and flew away from the ruins.

"I'm going to need some muscle," Eris mumbled to herself.

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A/N: Hi again. So I've changed the title of this fic and the summary. I hope this is better. I may be uploading a cover for this fic as well. Fair warning, I'm not an artist so the cover won't be the best.

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A


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Hi everyone, in case you haven't noticed, I changed a lot of stuff: title, summary, and cover page. I don't know if anyone has read the last chapter because my stats seems to be malfunctioning. But that's not important. A fun thing I noticed while writing this and the last chapter, is that writing traveling scenes is really boring. I hope as soon as I introduce Danny that we can start to have some conflict. yay, conflict. Anyways, please R&R.

Thank you Alex Le Grande for adding this story to your favorites

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Plasmius took the responsibility to keep watch while Catalina slept. It wasn't a great need to have him keep watch, but it seemed to comfort the woman. He turned his gaze to the halfa who was curled on her side sleeping. She was in her ghost form which didn't surprise Plasmius being that they were in the Ghost Zone. He smiled to himself even while sleeping the woman wasn't quiet; she was mumbling under her breath words Plasmius couldn't make out even with his enhanced hearing.

The older halfa leaned back against the tree where he set up his watch. He couldn't help his thoughts returning to the female halfa that slept and compare her to Daniel. The teen halfa despised him, but she looked at him in wonder. She said she trusted him. He hadn't heard that in a long time. Both Masters and Plasmius were untrusted and to hear her give him her trust so willingly was strange. He grinned wickedly to himself. Her naivety was what made her the perfect pawn. She would move without expecting anything.

A loud gasp broke the silence in the small forest. Plasmius turned to the source of the sound. Catalina was sitting up her red eyes wide. She was panting as if she had run a long distance. "Alma," Plasmius called out; he was grateful that he could say her alias quickly.

The woman turned to face him and gave him a fanged smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "It was just a nightmare. Nothing to it." She stretched as she got up to her feet. "If you want to rest, I can keep watch for a while. I don't need any more rest," she said her voice not quite the animated buzz it normally was.

Plasmius was tempted to tell the woman that they both really didn't need to rest. In ghost form, they could go on for a couple of days without sleep. "We should move on," he stated answering her.

"Where to, boss?" Catalina asked and Plasmius had to wonder if she had figured out his secret.

"We'll be heading in that direction. The Spector Forest will be about another hour away," Plasmius explained before turning and pointing in the appropriate direction. He took off smoothly, his feet left the ground quickly. He didn't need to turn to know that the woman was following. She was silent which was odd and Plasmius was unsure if he preferred the silence or the distraction of her random conversation.

The silence was broken by humming. Whether it was an actual song or just a random collection of notes, Plasmius couldn't tell. He looked at the woman who looked content to continue her song. "We need a radio," Catalina said at last. "I always listen to music when I travel. I once drove back to Texas to visit my parents and the radio in my car didn't work. I ended up singing acapella all the way there." Plasmius didn't have to ask to know that the woman didn't actually visit her parents but rather their graves. She chuckled to herself, "At one point, I rolled down my windows and had a little sing-a-long with the other drivers."

"They sung along?" Plasmius asked not believing that any sane person would sing with a complete stranger.

"Not all. Some people gave me a strange look…and others rolled up their windows," Catalina said with a laugh. She smiled and started humming again. Plasmius figured that the woman was done speaking for a while and focused on his new plot to get Daniel and Maddie. He sighed at the thought of seeing his love again. The plan was simple: get Daniel and Maddie away from Jack and Jasmine. From there, he could convince Maddie to leave Jack. What reason she had to stay with the moron when she could have him? He was rich, handsome, and intelligent. "Plasmius? Earth to Plasmius. I guess its Ghost Zone to Plasmius," Catalina's voice called.

Plasmius tried not to look annoyed at the interruption. "Yes, Alma?" he asked.

"I just asked what ghosts do for the holidays. It's not important. I was just curious," Catalina said with a shrug.

"Which holidays are you wondering about?" Plasmius asked willing to sate her curiosity. It was a harmless question and besides she seemed impressed when he knew the answers to her questions.

"Thanksgiving, Christmas. You know the holidays that are coming," Catalina answered as if it was obvious.

Plasmius knew what he did for those holidays, but he could hear Daniel's voice mocking his isolation, so he decided not to tell the woman. "Most ghosts don't do anything for Thanksgiving. For one, some ghosts are older than the tradition. Ghost also don't have any family so there isn't any reason to celebrate."

"That's sad. Well, my house is open for any festivities if you want to come. I can roast a turkey and make stuffing. It would be my first time making a Thanksgiving dinner, but it would be fun. You can even invite some of your allies and we can have a big party," Catalina said her voice becoming quicker and more excited.

"Don't you have anyone to celebrate with?" Plasmius asked. The woman made an odd strangled sound.

"I.. well, I don't," the woman said flatly. "How about Christmas?" she shouted clasping her hands. "Christmas is the best holiday ever. The cheer and music and decorations. I love Christmas," the woman said.

"On Christmas day, all ghosts end all hostilities. It's called the Christmas Truce. In the evening, there is also a party to celebrate it," Plasmius explained.

"We should go," Catalina interrupted grabbing onto his arm with both of her hands and an enthusiastic grin.

Plasmius was tempted to say no, but an idea struck him: the Christmas Party would be the perfect place for Catalina to meet Daniel. "I was thinking the exact same thing."

"Yeah, I can meet other ghosts. And maybe there will be another halfa there," the woman said her grip becoming tighter. Plasmius looked at his arm and the woman got the hint and released her death grip.

"There is another halfa. He and I are not on the best of terms," Plasmius stated waiting for the female halfa to take the bait.

"Really, maybe I can convince him otherwise. I'm sure you two just had a bad first impression. I bet he could also use a mentor. Perhaps if I talk about you, not saying your name of course, and how much you've taught me, maybe he would be willing to give you a chance. But I need an amazing trick to show him that you have taught me a lot; maybe teleportation or duplication," the woman trailed off.

"Subtle," Plasmius said sarcastically, "I said I won't teach you that yet." He knew that the woman was eager, but she needed to listen and stop pushing him.

"Why not?" the woman whined dropping in altitude. Plasmius pinched the bridge of his nose a habit that had become prevalent since he spent time with the female halfa. "I'll stop asking if you give me a good answer." Plasmius shot her a disbelieving look. "I'll try my best not to ask."

Plasmius sighed; the woman could almost be as irritating as Daniel, almost. "If you try to perform either of these techniques before you are ready to do so, it could damage your core," he explained.

"Could that kill me?" Catalina asked her swaying flight path straightened.

"My best guess would be that your ghost half would try to heal itself by consuming your human half's life force," Plasmius answered. The woman's red eyes widened in an almost comical manner.

"Nevermind, I can wait to learn teleportation," Catalina said seriously. "Look, trees!" the woman shouted before taking off like a shot. Plasmius sped up a little to keep somewhat close to the female halfa. The older halfa recognized the forest as the one he was looking for. He watched the woman's white boots hit the ground before he landed himself. She looked up the towering trees, "Those are the tallest trees I've ever seen and they glow."

Plasmius shook his head and allowed the woman to gush about the trees. He had more interest in the plants along the ground. Seeing a small pant with pink flowers, Plasmius was about to lean down to pick it when a pair of white boots stomped on it. "What plants are you looking for?" Catalina asked leaning forward.

Plasmius released an irritated breath. "You just stepped on one," he growled. The woman levitated to see what was under her boots.

"Oh, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to. I'm sure there are more. I'll go find some," Catalina said quickly floating off. Plasmius took a deep breath and continued looking. After two hours, the two had found plenty of specimens.

"Alma, we should be heading back now. I have all that I need," Plasmius called out to the woman was picking up some red flowers by the roots. "What are you doing?" he asked her picking the plants he didn't specify.

"These are pretty. I'm going to plant them," she answered as if it was obvious. She looked at her prize with pride.

"They'll die. Ghost plants don't survive in the human world," Plasmius answered. The woman pouted and knelt back to the ground.

"I'll put them back. No point in hurting them," she mumbled as she patted the dirt around the plants. Plasmius watched her as she was carefully replanting the flowers. "Done," she shot up off her feet and a foot in the air. Plasmius didn't bother a response and glanced up before taking off. Catalina was soon by his side. "So, I'm curious. What do the plants you have do? You said they were for medicinal purposes. Do ghosts get sick?" Catalina asked.

"There are few ghost illnesses. Mostly viruses and you'll just have to wait for the virus to run its course. These plants are to promote healing, prevent infection, and even boost your ghost abilities," Plasmius lectured.

"Sounds intriguing. Can I see how you prep them?" Catalina asked quickly. Plasmius answered her simply that it would be at a later date. The woman seemed satisfied with this answer and stopped speaking. Plasmius knew by now the silence will remain for an hour tops before she would ask some question or another.

"So this other halfa.." Catalina began. Vlad was tempted to look at his watch to see if she broke her previous record of an hour. "What's he like?" her tone was calmer as if she was nervous about the answer.

"He's a teenage boy. Absolutely irritating," Plasmius answered with a growl.

Catalina laughed, "He is a teenager. It comes with the territory." Plasmius had to chuckle at the remark. "I'm sure I can convince him to join us. I mean, there's not a lot of us half-ghosts, are there?" she asked.

Plasmius shook his head, "There's less than a handful."

She narrowed her red eyes at him as if to inspect him. He briefly wondered if she could see through the omission of truth; just like her uncanny ability to see through his lies in his human form. He distractedly thought that he should ask her how she did that. "So really it is just me and this kid," she said, Plasmius could catch a quick glance in his direction. He knew she was trying to get a reaction, but he was a master at keeping a straight face. "I'm sure he will want to spend time with the only other person like him. It is natural. Animals do it; like the old saying goes birds of a feather flock together," she grinned cheekily.

Plasmius scoffed internally. If that was the case, the boy would have already been begging to join him the first time they met. "He won't be easy to convince. He believes I'm evil," Plasmius stated trying to sound sad at the fact.

The woman gave him an odd look. "Well, that's ridiculous," she said after a moment of hesitation. Plasmius was pleased that she thought he was some good being. "No one is completely evil. I'm sure you're a little evil, but so am I and so is he," she said with a smile. Plasmius deflated slightly realizing that the woman didn't get the point. "A hawk seems evil to its prey, but it's a savior to its children," she said wisely which was odd coming from her. Of course after this thought she pulled out a cookie from her pack and started to nibble on it. The pair fell silent again.

"Thank you," Catalina said out of nowhere.

"For what?" Plasmius asked.

"For everything, I guess. You took me under your wing, so to speak. Without you, I don't know what I would do. I would have been stuck with this secret by myself. I would have been caught and experimented on. Found by some ghost hunters like Skulker or the Fentons," she shuddered a little at the last words while Plasmius stiffened. She looked directly into his red eyes. "Thank you, I wouldn't be here without you," she said this so seriously Plasmius wondered what got into her. The serious look was replaced with a stupid grin. "Besides the Ghost Zone is so cool."

Plasmius was glad for the ghost zone comment; he was unsure how to handle the almost soul-baring expression of gratitude. "You're very welcome, Alma."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hello everyone and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I hope everyone is having a good time and eating well. :) Anyways, I wish you the best. I'm so glad this chapter is done; this will be the last in my 'exposition' so to speak and things can start to move a little faster. This chapter went through several different forms before this is what I ended up with. Some versions were very light-hearted to very serious. I eventually settled for this. Oh, FYI in case you didn't figure out from chapter one, this story began in Season one. I did warn that it would become divergent from canon and this is one instance: Danny learned about the Christmas Truce during his first year as a halfa. Thank you ymora826, Ella Le Hissy, and Button333 for following or favoriting this fic; it really means a lot to me.

-guest- I apologize that this fic appeared to do so. I was only intending to introduce characters and prepare them to get into a position where I can continue onto their conflict. Thank you though for pointing that out to me and I'll be sure to keep it in mind. Have a good holidays.

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Catalina looked over her shoulder quickly to see if there was anyone in the office. Seeing no one, she turned into her ghost form and floated toward the ceiling to pin up some Christmas lights. She had to admit to herself that her ghost powers have been really helpful. She continued to hang Christmas lights humming carols to herself when she heard the ding of the elevator. Catalina turned human dropping roughly onto the floor. She held her arms out to balance herself.

The doors opened to reveal Mr. Masters. "Good Morning," she called out to the man. She walked to her desk to get more lights when she saw it. It had to be the biggest spider she had ever seen. "I…ahhh," she screamed as she jump/floated onto her desk. Vlad looked absolutely shocked at the scream. "Kill it, kill it," Catalina screamed pointing at the spider.

Vlad looked down at the offending arachnid. "Catalina, that thing isn't harming you. It's not that big either."

"Not big? That thing is huge," Catalina said from her perch. She watched as the spider crawled along the floor.

"You should get off from the desk," Vlad said walking away.

"Where are you going? You got to kill that thing," Catalina said. She looked at the man who was going to abandon her. "You can't leave me," she said trying to reach out to him as he passed. "Please," she asked softly.

He looked at her with bored eyes before he turned the blue orbits to the spider. He walked briskly and stomped the bug. Catalina sighed in relief all tension leaving her body. "Thank you, thank you," she whispered. She lowered herself to the floor and looked at the mess that she made. "I should clean up the mess I made," she said sheepishly looking at the paper scattered around her desk. The man chuckled and headed back to his office.

Catalina made quick work of the mess and looked at her handiwork. She placed her hands on her hips deciding that the decorations were acceptable for the office party. She clapped her hands together excited. "Cat, there you are," Nathan's voice called and Catalina straightened at the sound.

"Oh, hi," she said awkwardly stepping away from the man knowing that he was going to give some odd compliment or stare at her like she was a piece of meat.

"I got you a Christmas present for you," he said holding out a brightly wrapped box. Catalina tried to smile at the thoughtful gesture. She took the gift from his hands and debated if she really wanted to open it. "Aren't you going to open it?" he asked.

"Oh… yeah," she said unwrapping the gift. The only thing she was hoping was that it wasn't any form of clothing; she didn't want to know if he knew her size. She opened the box to find a portrait of herself; a professional portrait in a beautiful frame. She blinked at the photo not knowing when he would have gotten the picture of her. She almost squirmed in discomfort. "Oh, it's nice," she said and almost banged her head into her desk at the awkward tone of her voice. "I think Mr. Masters is calling for me. Be right back," she said before zipping into Vlad's office without knocking.

She slammed the door behind her. "Was there another spider?" Vlad asked looking up from his work with a smirk on his face.

Catalina chuckled uncomfortably, "I wish it was. I could just get you to kill it again." She sighed annoyed. She shook off any uncomfortable feelings to try to make some excuse for barging into the office. "So I got a DJ for this evening and the decorations. Everything is prepped. I'm so excited," she said trying to regain that high from before, but failing. "I'll see you later Mr. Masters. Don't worry, this party is going to be awesome," she said before leaving the office.

DP~DP~DP~

Vlad looked at the festivities with interest. He was observing the actions of his employees with amusement. Vlad made sure to only hire the most qualified and now he was debating if he had made the right choice. There was a woman slipping something in the punch and Vlad smiled in amusement. There was what his employees must have defined as 'dancing'. Everyone seemed to be holding loud conversations. "Having fun?" Catalina asked springing up next to him.

"Yes," Vlad answered simply.

"You could smile, you know," Catalina said, "Oh, before I forget. Here I got you in the gift exchange. I hope you like it. It's really hard to find a gift for someone who can just buy everything." Catalina held out a simply wrapped box. "Well, I got to make sure Amelia doesn't spike the punch."

"You might be a little late for that," Vlad said before the woman left earshot.

Catalina's face took an unamused look. "Seriously, Amelia, where are you?!" she shouted stomping off to find her friend. Vlad looked down at the gift in his hands. He pulled at the wrapping paper. Under the paper, was a plain box. He opened it slowly. In the center was a football with signatures and Vlad smiled as he recognized the names. They were all Packers players; Vlad already had an autographed ball, but he wondered how Catalina got her hands on one. Around the football like a nest was a green and gold scarf and in the corner a bunch of snickerdoodle cookies. It was simple and somewhat touching. Vlad looked up from the gift to see Catalina walk by before stopping in front of him.

"You opened it. What do you think? I think I missed a couple of stiches in the scarf and some of the cookies went missing," Catalina started to explain.

"You ate the cookies," Vlad stated rather than ask the woman.

The woman gave a fake shocked look, "Innocent little me?.. I did, they were really good. I better make sure the caterer set up everything properly."

"How did you get the football?" Vlad asked before the woman darted away again.

The woman looked a little sheepish. She chuckled lightly. "I kinda forged the signatures. It wasn't supposed to be a trick. I really don't have the funds to get you a real signed football. But at least you could play with this 'signed' football. Anyways, then I felt guilty about the football and croquet the scarf and that didn't work well so I made you cookies…and then ate some because I got hungry," she said quickly, "I'm sorry if you didn't like it."

"I don't get many gifts. And I believe the saying goes that it is the thought that counts," Vlad said.

"That's sad; that you don't get gifts. When's your birthday? I'll be sure to get you a gift then," Catalina asked.

Vlad stared at the shorter woman a little surprised that she would care for him. "May fifth," Vlad answered.

"Ah, Cinco de Mayo. I got it. I'll definitely remember it now," she grinned, "Oh, make sure you read the note in the box. That's the best part of the gift." She waved at the older man before skipping to a group of people who must have been the caterers. He looked down at his gift again; he felt a strange warmth in the center of his chest as though his core had sensed a ghost nearby.

Vlad closed the box and took a seat to continue his people watching. A couple of employees did come to speak with him and Vlad held a casual conversation until it was evident that they just wanted a raise. He excused them and started to leave. He walked calmly with his gift under his arm.

"You're leaving already?" Catalina's voice called out before she appeared beside him.

"Yes, I have a lot to do and not a lot of time to waste," Vlad answered.

Catalina frowned, "Having fun isn't a waste of time. But whatever, I imagine you haven't read the note in your box yet." Vlad didn't answer, but it seemed enough for the woman to smirk knowingly. "I'll just tell you now. You heard about Violex's change in management. I've heard from a reputable source that there might be several stockholders willing to sell at a reasonable price."

"How many shares?" Vlad asked knowing that whatever Catalina had up her sleeves had to be big from her grin.

"Enough to give you a large say in Violex's business. Of course, it would be best to buy these shares over a course of a couple of months not to rise suspicion," Catalina said looking around the office as if someone would overhear them.

"When can I meet the first stockholder?" Vlad asked knowing that opportunities like this didn't remain open for long.

"I already scheduled it for Friday next week," Catalina answered, "Have a Merry Christmas, Mr. Masters."

DP~DP~DP~

Danny looked around his surroundings with unease. Even though he knew about the Christmas Truce, he was uneasy with being around so many of his ghostly enemies. He saw the ghost biker, Johnny 13, who he met a month ago speaking with his girlfriend, Kitty. Danny decided to stick to his own corner of the room trying to stay as far as he could from the other ghosts. He might be able to take on one of his enemies, but if more ghosts decided to attack him, he wouldn't stand a chance. "It's like seeing your teacher in the grocery store," the halfa said to his two guests.

"I said we shouldn't come," Tucker said from his side. "Who knows what these ghosts are up to." The technogeek looked a little worried his hands cradling his PDA. Danny wanted to agree with him; all the ghosts he knew normally attacked him.

"If we leave now, we lose any chance to learn more about the ghost zone," Sam said speaking up. While Tucker was looking nervously at the ghosts gathered, Sam was intently observing them. Danny looked at his goth friend and wanted to agree with her as well. Tucker quickly responded to Sam and the two started to argue. Danny distractedly watched them.

"Hey, You're a halfa, too!" a load cheery voice shouted. All three teens jumped at the sudden noise. Danny turned around shocked that a ghost managed to sneak up on him. He didn't know how a ghost didn't set off his ghost sense; the only one to do so was Plasmius and Danny figured it was because he was part human. He blinked dumbly at the woman who was floating in front of him with a fanged grin.

"I uh," Danny smartly said still a little in shock. The woman giggled. "How did you know I was a halfa?" Danny asked.

The woman's pure red eyes flicked to Sam and Tucker. "Call it a lucky guess," she said smartly.

"You're a halfa?" Sam asked from behind Danny.

"Yes, I believe I just said that," the woman stated again with a widening smile. "I guess I should introduce myself. My name's Alma Espanta, but you can call me Cat if you like, my friends do," Alma stated quickly, holding her hand out.

"My name's Danny and these are my friends, Sam and Tucker," Danny introduced himself to the strange halfa.

"Alma is your ghost name, isn't it?" Sam asked.

The woman's red eyes turned to Sam, "Yes, it is. Sorry, Cat is as close as I'll give you to my real name. Even my mentor doesn't know my real name. I'm sure you understand, Danny."

"I do understand," Danny said, "You have a mentor?" The teen was interested in what the woman had to say.

Alma nodded enthusiastic. "Yes, he is a very powerful ghost who I met when I got my ghost powers. I wouldn't know what I would do without him. First of all, I didn't even believe in ghosts before my accident."

"Sounds like you were lucky. How long have you been a halfa?" Danny asked the woman.

"About two months, maybe a week more or a week less," Alma answered after a moment of thought. "How about you?"

"Four months," Danny answered quickly.

"So you're older than me. That's a little funny when you think about it," Alma said with a chuckle.

"Danny," Sam's voice hissed beside him. Danny turned to his friend. "Do you really think you should be talking to her?" the goth asked looking suspiciously at the female halfa. "What if her mentor is one of your enemies?" Sam whispered.

"It's fine, _Samantha_ ," Alma said slowly pronouncing Sam's full name.

"It's Sam," Sam growled.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot," the female halfa said with a chuckle with a pleased grin. Danny doubted she was apologetic about the slip up. "It's fine if you don't want to speak with me," Alma said with a shrug. She lowered her gaze and her shoulders slumped. "I just figured as the only halfas we should at least try to be friends, but that's fine."

Danny watched as the woman turned around. He felt an urge to speak with her and to confide in her; it was the same urge he felt when he saw Plasmius. "I'm going to talk with her for a little bit, guys," Danny said to his two friends. "Wait, Alma," Danny called out flying to meet her.

"Yes Danny," she replied turning slowly.

"Maybe we can talk for a little while," Danny said.

The woman squealed before Danny was pulled into a tight embrace. The teen blinked in shock before the other halfa released him. "Just call me Cat, Danny," Alma said with a smile that look similar to when she called Sam 'Samanta'.

"Uh, sure. Cat," Danny said hesitantly the nickname feeling a little odd to say.

"I'm so glad to meet another halfa. I was thinking I was the only one," Alma said in relief. Danny wondered briefly if he should tell her about Plasmius. "I don't know about you but I had the hardest time getting my tangibility under control," the woman said with a laugh, "I would lean on things and of course my arm decides to go intangible and bang."

"My pants used to go intangible," Danny admitted feeling comfortable enough to share.

The woman put a hand to her mouth to giggle. "I'm so sorry that must have been really awkward for you."

"It was and my teachers always seem to catch me when it happens," Danny said also feeling amused.

"I'm glad my clothes hasn't tried to become intangible. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't go over well. My mentor taught me how to transfer intangibility and invisibility last week," Catalina said, "I'm still getting the hang of it, but at least I'm not sinking through the floor or floating unexpectantly anymore."

"Sam and Tucker had to pull me out of the floor a couple of times when I was still getting my powers under control," Danny said.

Alma chuckled. "I'm so glad that strange phase is over with," she admitted. "You're very lucky to have human friends that know about your secret. I'm sure your family knows as well."

"Actually, they don't. My parents are ghost hunters and I'm not so sure if they could accept me," Danny said his shoulder slumping thinking about his family who hated ghosts.

The woman frowned slightly, "I'm so sorry, Danny. It's not right that you should fear your parents. You should be in a place that would be proud of you and your abilities." The woman gave the teen a fanged smile. "Speaking of abilities my mentor said that maybe next month we can work on duplication. But I'm sure being a halfa two months before me, you must already know the trick."

Danny looked at the woman impressed. Since he saw Plasmius duplicate, he had been working on learning to do the same trick. " Actually I don't know. Do you think your mentor will be willing to teach me as well?" Danny asked knowing that with that ability he would be able to defend his hometown better.

"I'm sure he would. My mentor is kind even though he will probably deny it. Maybe I can introduce you two at a later time. If you're up to it," Alma said with a large smile. "Uh, here, this is my cell phone number. You can call me if you need anything. If I don't answer, just leave a message and I'll get right back to you," the woman said reaching into her black sleeves and pulling out a small card. She handed it to Danny who looked at the number printed on one side.

"Thank you, I'll be sure to keep in contact," Danny said.

"You can call me next week. I might be able to convince my mentor to teach me duplication a little earlier than planned," Alma said. "Well, I better be off. I was supposed to meet some of his allies in the Ghost Zone so I don't end up fighting them and I'm sure your friends want to speak with you. I'll be seeing you around." With that the woman zipped through the crowded party and out of sight as Danny returned to his friends.

"For a ghost she was kinda pretty," Tucker said which resulted in a kick from Sam and an eyeroll from Danny.

DP~DP~DP~

Catalina left the younger halfa alone with her phone number. Now that she was satisfied that the young teen didn't suspect a thing she looked for Plasmius. She found him speaking with Skulker by the floating punch bowl. She flew quickly to his side. "Hi Skulker, hi Plasmius," she greeted. Skulker narrowed his eyes at her and Plasmius nodded his head in greeting.

"How did your meeting go?" Plasmius asked.

"Pretty good, I'll say. He seems willing to talk to me," she answered, "He's also curious about you. Don't worry, I didn't say your name and I'm sure he hasn't connected the dots. He is interested in learning duplication."

Plasmius grinned, "We can move your lesson forward."

Catalina beamed excited, "I was hoping you were going to say that. So you wanted me to meet your allies. I'm sure that means more than just Skulker here."

The other ghost nodded his head, "Yes, I just saw Timus float in. Come, we'll meet him." Catalina floated behind him as the pair avoided the corner where the teen halfa and his friends were.

"Timus, it's wonderful to see you here," Plasmius greeted a toga-wearing ghost with black hair and blue skin. Timus turned to Plasmius and gave a fanged grin. Catalina narrowed her eyes at the strange ghost.

"Plasmius, I'm rather surprised that you're here. You haven't been here for years," Timus said his tone easy.

"My new apprentice needs to learn the ins and outs of the ghost zone and the best way to do that would be her to visit it and all the ghosts," Plasmius said easily.

"Ah, another halfa," Timus said giving Catalina a predatory grin. "If I didn't know better, I would say you are planning a hostile takeover." Catalina clenched her fists as both her mentor's and Timus's body language spoke volumes. For whatever reasons, the two ghosts looked as though they were close to attacking each other. "Of course, you don't have any thoughts of that; only chasing after that human woman."

Catalina knew what woman the ghost spoke of: the mysterious Maddie. "I wouldn't dream of challenging you. Were you still having problems with the Far Frozen," Plasmius asked almost mocking.

"The Far Frozen is highly fortified, but it won't be trouble for long. My army will eventually break through their walls of ice," Timus said sure of himself.

"I have no doubt of it. If you will excuse us, my apprentice and I have more people to speak with," Plasmius said politely before floating away.

Catalina chuckled a little, "I thought we were meeting your allies."

Plasmius looked unamused at her, "Timus and I have an agreement. I don't interfere with his bought of Ghost Zone domination and he doesn't harass me."

"Seems like you have more agreements than allies," Catalina noted. "I'm not so sure if that is exactly a good idea. What if they decide someone else makes a better deal?"

"I'll just destroy them for betraying me," Plasmius answered with venom spotting his voice.

Catalina grinned, "I like the sound of that."

DP~DP~DP~DP

Eris looked over the crowd with a specific purpose. She had to find a ghost that was willing to challenge Plasmius. While most ghosts didn't care much for the oldest halfa, many won't dare challenge him. The woman ghost looked over the ghosts that floated and spoke with each other peacefully for at least this one day. Eris caught sight of the ghosts of the Far Frozen; they definitely had the power to distract Plasmius long enough for Eris to snap his apprentice's neck, they also had no love for her master. Eris continued looking. There was the Prince Aragon, but Eris knew that the halfa and the prince had a deal.

Eris frowned there had to be at least one ghost who would be willing to turn against the halfa. She caught sight of the pair of halfas leave an Ancient Roman looking ghost. Timus; Eris believed his name to be. He was well-known in the Ghost Zone for his obsession with conquering. Though the ancient ghost had an agreement with Plasmius, Eris knew she saw contention between the two just moments ago.

Seizing at the fragment of courage she had, Eris floated to the warmongering ghost. "Timus, you may not know me, but my name is Eris."

The Roman looked at the woman as though she was an insect. "You are one of the Recorders for the Observants," he stated rather than ask pointing at her Recorder band that was wrapped around her upper arm.

She almost cursed herself for forgetting to take it off, but quickly thought of a lie, "Yes, I am. And I came to warn you. The Observants wouldn't like me to tell you but I think you deserve to know." Eris feigned nervousness.

"What is it that I need to know?" the ghost asked getting agitated.

"It's about Plasmius. You've seen his halfa apprentice. He's planning on removing you and your army from the Ghost Zone."

"Why would he do that? We have an agreement and Plasmius doesn't go back on his word," Timus said crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I don't know why; I just know that I've seen it. And the Observants don't want any of us to interfere," Eris looked away, "It was just awful. I don't want to see something so disgusting to happen to any ghost." She looked back at the ghost faking her worry. "I don't know what would happen to the Ghost Zone if Plasmius doesn't have a strong ghost as yourself to keep him in line."

Timus frowned, "You won't have to worry about that. I will show him what happens to ghosts who think they can betray me." Eris gave the other ghost a sheepish grin while a much more pleased one formed in her mind. Plasmius wouldn't know what hit him.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Happy New Year everyone. Thank you all for reading. This chapter is shorter and is more of a transition than anything. So please forgive you to NoxTheShadowWolf and Stormshadow13 for favoriting and following this fic. It means a lot to me.

-randomphandom- Hi my favorite reviewer. I'm going respond to both reviews here. Thank you, I'm happier with this title. You're not the only one glad that Danny and Cat finally met; honestly, I was debating whether to have them meet during 'Maternal Instincts', but decided I couldn't wait that long and it gives them a little conflict when all three halfas finally get together. If Danny knew that Vlad was Cat's mentor, the conversation would go very differently. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

-Stormshadow13- Hello new reviewer, thank you for your review. I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

* * *

Catalina filled out the reports as quickly as she could. This was the last task she had before she could leave for the day. She was excited and couldn't wait to leave the office. Plasmius had gave her his word that he would teach her duplication today. After meeting with Danny at the Christmas Truce Party in the previous week, the older ghost had increased the amount of time they spent training. It was exhausting, but Catalina loved it.

Finishing the last of her work, Catalina shut off her computer and grabbed her coat. She hurried to the crowded elevator. She was in the lobby in minutes and was hurrying to the door when she bumped into a solid wall. She fell back stunned blinking at the person who she bumped into. The neatly pressed suit and white hair was evidence enough for the woman to recognize who she bumped into.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Masters," she said jumping up, her face burning in embarrassment.

Her employer looked down at her pinching the bridge of his nose which made him look remarkably like Plasmius. "You should watch where you are going," Vlad said with a sigh.

"I'll be sure to do that next time. I'm just in a rush. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good day," Catalina said sprinting away. She got into her car and drove off quickly.

She entered her house dropping her purse onto her couch. Catalina shifted into her ghost form with a sigh of relief. She heard her phone vibrating from the bag. Catalina searched for it quickly before answering. "Hello?" she asked unsure who was calling as the number on the caller id was unknown to her.

"Hey Alma. I mean Cat," Danny's voice called out.

"Oh it's you, Danny. How's school going?" Catalina asked glad that the kid decided to call.

"Uh good I guess, but there's something more important than school going on right now," Danny said clearly feeling stressed.

"What's wrong?" Catalina asked hoping that whatever problem that the young hybrid had she could solve.

"I have a ghost here that speaks only in Esperanto and I was wondering if you can translate for me," Danny asked.

The tension on the other side of the phone was clearly audible. "From how tired you are I imagine there is more to this story," Catalina said trying to urge the younger hybrid to tell her more and buy herself more time till Plasmius arrived. She didn't have a clue on what Esperanto was.

"My town is being overrun by ghosts," Danny said irritated, "We have a curfew." Tucker's and Sam's voices came through the phone explaining the rest of the problem. The teens were clearly upset at the limits to their freedom. During the explanation, Plasmius floated into Catalina's living room and the woman relayed what the teens were telling her.

"Put me on speaker phone so I can talk with this new ghost friend of yours." Catalina went to her refrigerator and pulled off a notepad writing a quick note to Plasmius and pushing it to him.

'can you speak Esperanto?' the note read. Plasmius read it quickly before nodding. Catalina put her own phone on speaker phone. "What were you trying to figure out?" Catalina asked.

"We're trying to see what Walker is up to," Danny's voice called. "I'm going to go to my locker to get my thermos and you could tell me what you find out." From the narrowed eyed look Plasmius gave the phone, Catalina assumed that the older ghost didn't agree with the younger hybrid's plan.

"Wait, Danny," Catalina called out, "Don't leave until we have all the information. You can't just rush in there." She could catch a frustrated sigh and she grinned knowing the hybrid listened to her. Plasmius in front of her scribbled something onto the notepad knowing that it was best if Danny didn't hear his voice. Catalina looked at the scrambled bunch of letters looking up at the ghost in confusion. The ghost just underlined the letters as if to encourage her to read it.

"You're going to have to forgive my pronunciation," Catalina warned before reading what must have been a question about a Walker person in a Spanish accent because it seemed appropriate.

A babble of nonsense rang out from the phone. Plasmius was writing as soon as the growl could be heard. Catalina read out what was written. "Sounds like this Walker person is overshadowing people you come into contact with."

"Why would he do that?" Danny's voice asked. Another stream of babble came through the phone and Catalina looked at Plasmius as he translated the new information.

She looked over to read what he wrote. "I don't know but I would tread carefully," Catalina cautioned, "Wulf is willing to help you need to remove the collar. Hey, I have to go, but if you need me to come, I'll help you take out those ghosts."

"Thanks Cat. Don't worry I can handle Walker and his goons. I'll call you later," Danny said followed by Sam and Tucker. The woman ended the call with a sigh.

"Thank you, Plasmius. I'm sure Danny appreciated the help," Catalina said with a smile.

Plasmius waved off the thanks, "we need to work on your own lesson. Daniel can take care of himself."

"Yes, finally we're working on duplication. Oh, I haven't heard about this overshadowing ability. Can we work on that as well," Catalina asked excited, the previous conversation forgotten.

" Overshadowing is fairly simple and we can cover it next week. I gave my word that I'll teach you duplication. We'll start here. Sit down," Plasmius lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the floor. Catalina gave him an unamused look before sitting down putting her feet to one side.

"I'm not sitting cross-legged in this dress," Catalina said pointed to her outfit. "So no show today," Catalina smirked. Plasmius just pinched his nose making him look a lot like Vlad earlier that day. Catalina narrowed her eyes, but didn't comment on the motion.

"Before we get started on duplication, I want you to be proficient in controlling your ecto-signature and the amount of energy that leaks from your skin," Plasmius stated.

"So how do I do that?" Catalina asked.

Plasmius sighed, "May I have the bracelet I gave you?" Catalina huffed but removed the jewelry. "We'll start by suppressing your ecto-signature. Take a deep breath and draw energy from your extremities to your core."

Catalina nodded and took a deep breath and started to pull energy from her arms and legs to her core. "A little better. You need to suppress more of your energy." Catalina closed her eyes and drew more energy from below the surface of her skin. "Very good. Now I want you to open your eyes." Catalina did as she was asked. "Okay, I need you to make a ghost shield, but keep suppressing your ecto-signature."

Catalina held out her left and tried to release the smallest amount of energy. A blue shimmering shield formed in front of her. She smiled proudly at herself looking to Plasmius for approval.

"It's acceptable for a first try. Try again," Plasmius ordered.

After an hour, Catalina was fed up. "I don't see how this is helping me duplicate myself. Don't get me wrong. This is absolutely fascinating, but I don't see how it's helpful," Catalina said upset crossing her arms.

"If you don't give your duplicate enough energy, it will dissolve. You also don't want to give it too much energy because the technique will wear you out. Teaching you how to use your abilities while suppressing your ecto-signature forces you to think and plan how much energy you need for each task," Plasmius answered. "You're getting close."

Catalina sighed, but continued the drill. It was another hour later, when Plasmius had her stand. "That will be enough for today. Get some rest and we'll continue tomorrow."

Catalina sighed not really wanting to quit but knowing that her mentor probably knew what was best. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" Catalina asked.

"Yes, we'll continue this exercise tomorrow," Plasmius said. With that the two hybrids left each other with a quick farewell.

DP~DP~DP~DP

"Are you sure you don't want to wait another week?" Catalina asked her mentor in a sarcastic tone thinking about the last three days of the same drill.

The ghost pinched the bridge of his nose, but nodded. "Yes, your core should be strong enough to handle duplicating yourself."

Catalina cheered floating up and wrapping her arms around Plasmius's waist. The ghost sighed irritated as she broke off the contact. "So what do I do first?" Catalina asked feeling her core beginning to burn a little hotter in anticipation.

"Let's start with something simple. I want you to want to be in two places at once and force a small amount of energy outward from your core," Plasmius explained.

"Okay, I'm going to pretend I understand you and go for it," Catalina said before taking a deep breath. She focused all her energy to her core and tried to imagine another her floating beside herself. Nothing happened. She puffed an angry breath.

"That's a start. Give your duplicate a little more energy."

Catalina nodded forcing more energy from her core outward and to her left where she pictured her duplicate to be. A doppelganger separated from her before dissolving into green goop. Catalina frowned at the failure. "Very good," Plasmius commented and Catalina gave him a disbelieving look.

"I need to give it a little more," Catalina nodded looking at the man to see if he agreed. The ghost gave her a fanged grin and a nod. Catalina took a deep breath and increased the amount energy even more. Like before, a second Catalina formed beside her before dissolving; the clone lasted longer, but it wasn't enough for Catalina.

She squared her shoulders before increasing the amount of energy recklessly. She split into two. Catalina blinked at the perfect image of herself and grinned in triumph before her core seared in her chest. She gasped at the painful sensation, grasping at the black material in front of her chest. A firm hand landed on her shoulder. "Turn back now," a firm command broke through the painful fog. Catalina barely nodded shifting into her human form. All her energy was sapped and her eyes were closing slowly.

She felt herself falling, but didn't have the energy to stop. A pair of solid arms stopped her decent and pulled her close. Catalina opened her eyes which took more energy than she would have liked. Her face was pressed against pure white. Catalina turned her gaze upward. She could see Plasmius looking down at her his red eyes with an emotion she couldn't identify. Catalina swallowed roughly feeling her center warm again. "I'm sorry, Plasmius. I'm okay." She pushed herself away from the ghost. Plasmius allowed her to remove herself and Catalina wanted to shake off the strange sensation that seemed to buzz through her bones from his touch. She gave a grin to the ghost before taking a step. Her knees buckled allowing gravity to take control.

A firm grasp on her arm pulled her straight. "You're definition of okay is vastly different than mine," Plasmius said giving her a stern look.

Catalina grinned sheepishly. "I might need a little help." Plasmius shook his head pulling her arm over his shoulder and wrapping his arm around her waist. She leaned on him as she directed him to her bedroom; he probably knew exactly where it was, but he allowed her to ramble as she guided him. He remained silent as she crawled under the sheets of her bed. "You were reckless," he stated frustrated.

"I know, but I wanted to show you that I could do this. That I'm making some progress," Catalina said quickly trying to provide some excuse.

"Behavior like that will get you killed," Plasmius said harshly making Catalina flinch. She looked down at her lap.

"I didn't know that you cared," Catalina said her honesty shocking her. "I'll be more careful. I promise."

Plasmius released his breath through his teeth before giving her a long-suffering sigh, "I really doubt that."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I'm a little ashamed of myself. In case it wasn't obvious, I was trying to keep a schedule of updating once a week. Well, last week I had surgery and due to that I wasn't able to write. But that's over with so maybe I'll be able to keep up a schedule. Oh and I'm unsure of any currency in the Ghost Zone so I figured that to pay a ghost you have to satisfy their obsession (I could be wrong about the currency thing). Anyways, please enjoy.

* * *

Ghostly hormones; that's what Catalina chalked it up to be. After all who in their right mind would be attracted to a ghost? With blue corpse-like skin and glowing red eyes that seemed to look right through you, why would anyone fall for that. Catalina sighed pulling her knees to her chest. "I'm crazy. Absolutely crazy," she mumbled. "My first clue should have been the fact I talk to myself."

She opened her soda can and took a swig. The carbonation in the drink stung and Catalina coughed. She put a hand to her chest over where her core would be. After being berated for potentially damaging her core, Catalina was more careful with the amount of ecto-energy she used. It had been a week since that incident and Catalina still couldn't get a perfect duplicate. It frustrated her to no end; she was doing everything right, but Plasmius stated that she needed to practice. She took another swig of her soda. A quick glance at the clock told her that Plasmius would appear in about ten minutes. The ghost was very punctual, a trait Catalina could appreciate. A vibrating sound came from her purse and a quick glance told her that Danny was calling.

"Hi, Danny. How are you doing?" Catalina greeted cheerfully. The teen called, not as often as Catalina would like, but he did call.

"Okay, I guess. I was wondering how good you are at math?" Danny asked. "Sam and Tucker are busy and I need to get this done before I go patrolling."

"What kind of math, Danny? Algebra, Calculus, Geometry? Uh, that's all I can think of," Catalina asked trailing off.

"Geometry," Danny answered.

"Ew, I personally preferred Algebra. Calculus was pretty fun as well. My Cal teacher was also kinda hot, so that's why I liked it. He had the most amazing accent," Catalina started to trail off in thought.

"Uh, Cat…" Danny's voice interrupted clearly a little uncomfortable.

"Sorry Danny, I went a little off topic. Just forget I said anything. But yea, I can help you with your homework for about ten minutes before I have to go. Don't worry about it. Math is easy; it's just patterns. You just have to notice them. What are you stuck on?" Catalina asked. The next ten minutes were spend with Catalina guiding Danny to the correct answer and the woman pointing out the pattern that would help him solve any other problems.

"See, Danny. You're a smart kid. You just need to focus and pay attention. Uh, hey I got to go. Be safe, okay?" Catalina said quickly as she saw Plasmius float into the room.

"Sure thing. Thanks, Cat," Danny said before he ended the call.

"Daniel again. Seems like the kid has taken a liking to you," Plasmius noted.

"He just needs someone to talk to. I imagine he gets lonely. I do sometimes. But I got you so that's cool," Catalina said smiling. "Oh so I was thinking. That I should actually meet Danny face to face. We've been talking on the phone, but really talking with someone gains trust."

"He lives in Amity Park," Plasmius added helpfully, "It's a state away."

"Well, I need a reason for just popping up," Catalina said, "It'll be weird just to show up."

"It sounds like you're plotting something," Plasmius deduced no doubt from the mischievous grin that spread across her face.

"Actually yes. I was thinking if we can stage a ghost attack; one he can't handle himself. I can swoop in and help," Catalina said crossing her legs. "Everything will be fine. I mean; no one will be in real danger. And Danny and I can solve the problem before any damage is done."

"Amity does have a fair share of ghost attacks, so another won't draw any suspicion. As long as we pick a ghost that the two of you can handle, it would make you seem more trustworthy."

"He does have trust issues with ghosts. I can imagine this is where your first meeting went awry. And the best part of this plan is that I can convince him that his friends shouldn't be ghost fighting with him. The goth girl seems to think I'm up to something or at the very least she doesn't trust me," Catalina said.

"You make a good point. We'll have to go into the Ghost Zone. There are plenty of mercenaries that can prove useful," Plasmius responded.

"Great, I wanted to go back to the Ghost Zone," Catalina said with a shout pleased that her little plot worked.

"Did you come up with the plan for me to take you back into the Ghost Zone?" Plasmius asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yup, we've been working on duplication for so long and you said you didn't want to go into the Ghost Zone until I actually made a working duplicate," Catalina put her hands on her hips.

Plasmius scoffed amused. "Tricky little bird. I'm tempted to tell you no, but you made valid points. So we'll go into the ghost zone today."

"I assume we will be back by morning," Catalina said getting to her feet and changing into her ghost self. "I do have a job. You know that thing normal humans have."

"Yes, you'll be back by morning. My portal is very close to the ghost I have in mind," Plasmius stated.

"One of your 'allies'?" Catalina asked making quotation marks with her fingers. "Or another agreement?"

"A real mercenary. He will ask for something in return for his services; if you have anything sweet, that would be helpful," Plamsius stated.

"I always have cookies around. I'll be back," Catalina ran to her kitchen and wrapped cookies she had just baked that evening onto a plate with plastic-wrap. She carried the plate back to Plasmius. "I have two dozen here. Will that be enough?"

"We'll see," Plasmius said. "Give me your hand," the ghost said reaching out with his black-gloved one.

"Why?" Catalina asked holding her hands further away already feeling her core warm.

"So I can teleport us to my portal," the ghost said as if it was the most obvious answer.

"Woah, you figured out how to do that already?" Catalina said ecstatic, but conscious not to float into the man's face. She swallowed roughly, but gave the ghost her free hand.

"Of course, I actually figured it out weeks ago. Before we teleport you need to take a deep breath and hold it," Plasmius ordered.

"Please," Catalina added before taking a gulp of air. Plasmius shook his head with the smallest of smirks and Catalina mentally fist bumped; she was going to break through to him eventually. Plasmius tightened his hold on her hand before shutting his red eyes.

It felt like someone punched the air out of her lungs before all the ectoplasm in her body decided to become a flame. It wasn't painful just very uncomfortably warm like a hot humid day when it became difficult to breath. This sensation lasted moments before it disappeared and Catalina found herself blinking in the shining lab. "Woah, that was weird," Catalina said; she glanced at Plasmius who had turned his hand intangible to release it from her grip.

Catalina looked away in embarrassment realizing that she had held onto his hand longer than he intended. "So this ghost likes cookies?" Catalina asked as she floated alongside her mentor.

"Sweets in general," Plasmius answered, "They'll be our payment." The two floated into the Ghost Zone side-by-side. "He's nearby. About an hour flight."

"He likes pastries? That's great. I'll have someone to give me their opinion about recipes," Catalina said clasping her hands together. Plasmius didn't say anything making a very uncomfortable silence. "…So how's life been treating you? Or I guess afterlife?"

"I've been doing well. If that's what you are asking," Plasmius stated. Catalina nodded and decided to remain silent. "I actually have been researching an artifact called the feathered serpent crown. It's absolutely worthless, but would be a wonderful addition to my collection. We can plan for a trip to its location."

"Sounds fun, like being Indiana Jones," Catalina said. Plasmius sighed but consented to the comparision. The ghost then started explaining the lore of the crown and the history behind the object while the female halfa listened intently.

"It looks like we're here," Plasmius said pointing to a simple floating purple door. The ghost took the lead and knocked twice. Catalina tightened her hold on the platter of cookies. The door opened slowly with a creak. The female halfa had to crane her neck to look up at the towering ghost.

The ghost had long gangly arms and legs clothed in white fabric. His face was misshapen as if when he had died he had been crushed. The right side of his face was skeletal with few muscles along his jaw. Protruding ribs that broke through white fabric and missing fingers told that this ghost's death hadn't been peaceful. "Plasmius," the ghost greeted its jaw moving in a way that made Catalina's stomach queasy. She discreetly lowered her gaze as to not offend the ghost. "I thought I told you that I was retired," the ghost continued.

" Geis, It's only one job and it's an easy one," Plasmius said.

"The last time you said that I almost lost my after life," the ghost said not amused, "But you do pay well, so just one more job. What do you need me to do?" Plasmius explained to the mercenary the plot the pair cooked up. Geis looked at Catalina when Plasmius brought her role to his attention. Catalina turned her gaze downward at his scrutiny. "Sounds simple enough. Are those for me?" Geis pointed to the platter of cookies in Catalina's grasp.

"Yup, they're cranberry with white chocolate chips. Not to brag, but they're really good," Catalina spoke up. She held out the plate to the ghost and the mercenary grabbed them eagerly.

"It's been so long since I've eaten any real cookies," the ghost said his gruff voice becoming more childlike with wonder. He picked up one of the pastries before plopping it into his mouth. He groaned satisfied before plopping another in his mouth. "These are the best things I've tasted in years. And I don't even like cranberries."

"See, Plasmius. This is how you should react to my baking," Catalina said.

"Can you bake a pie? Cheesecake? Cake?" Geis asked as he munched down on the platter; Catalina was almost jealous that she couldn't eat like that without gaining a couple of pounds.

"Oh, yeah. I can bake all of those. I've even made a crème brûlée. I have several recipes that I'll like to try; mostly French pastries," Catalina said excited that she found someone who appreciated desserts as much as her.

The ghost held out his skeletal hand, "I believe that we can do a lot of business together, Miss Alma." Catalina took the skeletal hand and shook it firmly.

Plasmius spoke up, "Since you see I have the means to pay you, what would you say is a reasonable price for the job." After haggling for ten minutes, Catalina got the list of things to bake. An apple pie, cheesecake, and just because Catalina wanted to one of the French pastries she wanted to bake.

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you," Geis said as the two ghosts from the human world prepared to leave after deciding to set things into motion the following weekend.

Plasmius led the way back to the portal. "Are all ghosts so obsessive?" Catalina asked noticing how much the mercenary could talk about baked goods.

"Many are," Plasmius stated.

"Except for you," Catalina said waiting for a reaction. The ghost only pinched the bridge of his nose. She smirked before red hot steam passed her lips. Her ghost sense was hotter than it had ever been before. Catalina shook her head as she saw what had set it off.

There had to be dozens of ghost all dressed like Roman centurions. Leading the group was Timus who didn't look pleased to see the pair. Catalina could see Plasmius square his shoulders to fully face the ancient ghost. "Timus, it is a surprise to see you here. I would have thought you would be at the Far Frozen," Plasmius greeted in a false friendly tone.

"Don't mock me, Plasmius," Timus shouted. Plasmius didn't appreciate the tone the other ghost spoke to him.

"Maybe we should calm down," Catalina said with an awkward nervous chuckle but not daring to step between both ghosts. The ancient ghost's eyes turned to her before his gazed narrowed. He moved so fast that Catalina barely had time to put up a shield before an ecto-blast was shot at her.

Catalina watched as Plasmius shot an ecto-blast toward Timus. With this attack, the dozen ghost standing on the sidelines, joined the fight. Catalina dropped her shield as she noticed that Timus was more focused on Plasmius.

She shot two ecto-blasts at a couple of ghosts that were trying to flank Plasmius. This drew the attention of half of the ghosts who decided that Catalina was a credible threat. The halfa noticed her mistake; she never really been in a fight with a ghost. She dodged two ecto-blasts before creating a shield to block two more attacks.

Two blue ecto-blast to her enemies missed as she flew to find an opening. The flashes of blue and green ecto-blasts glittered in the green space of the Ghost Zone. Catalina spun and dove to avoid getting hit. The maneuver caused her to be right next to one of the ghostly warriors. With two handfuls of ecto-energy, Catalina shoved the ghost backwards. Her enemy tumbled through space before just floating lifelessly. The injured ghost smoked for a moment before his form began to bubble as if it was boiling. Catalina was distracted by the sight of the ghost becoming a glob of green goop before the material floated away as steam.

Two blows from behind threw her through the air. She closed her eyes as she spun. Using her arms to regain her balance, Catalina glared at the two ghosts in front of her. Movement in the corner of her eye warned her of an impending attack. The halfa turned intangible and watched as a green ecto-blast collide with another enemy.

Catalina smirked a little pleased. She mentally counted the enemy that surrounded her. The woman prided herself in her power of observation and now knew how to use it to her advantage. Watching the body language of the ghosts, Catalina kept out of the way of their ecto-blasts and handing a couple hits herself.

There was a grunt to her left and Catalina looked to its source. Plasmius floated holding one hand to his shoulder. Catalina could see that the other ghost had greatly diminished the force that attacked him. The only two still locked in battle was Timus and Plasmius. Catalina dodged a kick aimed for her face before rewarding her attacker with an ectoplasmic filled fist. The ghost staggered but otherwise seemed okay.

Catalina knew that she had to get to Plasmius's side; not only would the other ghost could help her, but maybe they could come up with a plan. An ecto-blast struck her side roughly tossing her even further from Plasmius. The halfa narrowed her gaze at the five ghosts that remained in front of her. She knew that she couldn't keep this up much longer. The odds were not in her favor.

Catalina stole a glance at Plasmius. He didn't seemed to be faring as well. His shoulders were slumped forward as if he was fighting to keep upright. The sight caused Catalina's heart to seize. They couldn't win at least without serious injury. "We have to get out of here," Catalina whispered to herself.

Without bothering with her own enemies, she tried to dart to her mentor's side. An ecto-blast flew past her head close enough to make her flinch. Catalina looked over her shoulder to fire a counter back at the ghosts. Another grunt told Catalina that Plasmius got hit again. The woman watched wide-eyed as Timus gathered a large amount of ecto-energy to his hands. Catalina looked at her mentor and how heavy-lidded his eyes looked. He couldn't take another hit or at the very least Catalina wouldn't let him.

The distance between them was daunting, but Catalina had to get there before the Roman ghost landed that final strike. She narrowed her eyes and mentally repeated to herself that she was going to make it in time. The large ball of ectoplasm shot forward toward Plasmius. A shout rang out from the female before being cut off as all the air was pushed out of her lungs and her own ectoplasm became fire.

Catalina recognize this sensation. She had time to see that she had appeared between Plasmius and Timus before she rose the strongest shield she could muster. The energy blast collided a moment before deflecting back at the ancient ghost. "Alma," Plasmius's voice called out sharply. The woman realized her error as soon as her core began to sear the interior of her chest burning even hotter than before. The woman whimpered at the pain before an arm around her waist pulled her back.

Everything was becoming slightly fuzzy as her core continued to burn and the fire spread to her bones. She could feel Plasmius pulling her at a rapid speed. The woman gasped as the burning stopped only to be replaced by a deep chill. Her eyes were dimming and her vision was becoming black.

The sensation of sliding across a solid surface brought her to the present. Cool flooring was pressed against her face as she looked at Plasmius who was standing shaky. He collapsed to his knees as a pair of black rings appeared at his waist.

Catalina watched heavy-lidded as the ghost's white suit and cape was replaced with a dark suit, black hair with white, and blue flesh into a more human tone. Catalina's breath caught in her throat not only at the chill that was eating at her core, but at the sight of Vlad Master kneeling in front of her where Plasmius was moments before.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Wow, I'm very happy with the response from the last chapter. Oddly enough, it made me more nervous about writing this chapter. Anywho, Thank you KaijudoFan101, DannyandSammaster, Ciana wolf, and Andettan for following and/or favoriting this fic. To all my readers, thank you for reading; I really hope I don't disappoint you.

-guest- There are several moments I'm excited to write; this is one, but perhaps not for the reason you are hoping for. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

see all of you at the end.

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To say that the oldest halfa was angry was an understatement. He was fuming; not only did Timus betray his trust and attack him, but his apprentice had to foolishly attempt to 'save' his life. Vlad had everything under control; Timus on his own wasn't a challenge and even with the extra ghosts, Vlad still was in charge. The halfa tried to stand up straight only fall on his knees; his mad dash to get back with his apprentice resulting in more injury than he expected. Vlad could feel his body shifting into his human half. He frowned to himself; Timus would pay for this incident.

Vlad heard the small gasp from Catalina who laid sprawled on the floor where he had dropped her. He turned her gaze to her. The woman was in her human form. Her eyes were nearly closed, but Vlad could see that they had remained red. He watched as they closed slowly. "Catalina," Vlad called out seeing no harm by calling out her human name. The woman didn't make a single noise besides her shallow breathing. The man hurried into action. He shook the woman to see if she was really unconscious.

He could hear her faint pulse. Although the sound was soft, her heartrate was rapid. He knew that he had to act quickly before any more damage could occur to the woman's core and human half. Vlad knelt to pick up the woman and set her on one of the lab tables. Vlad took notice of the blue tint of her fingernails and lips. The first thing he did was go into one of the many cabinets that lined the lab and grabbed a bag of saline that glowed slightly. He knew that whatever damage caused by the excessive use of ecto-energy could normally be reversed with a cocktail of various medical plants that would promote the production of more ecto-energy. Within minutes, he had Catalina hooked up to a steady drip leaving him with time to wait until she regained consciousness. He looked through the cabinets in the lab for a small bag of dried plant material that would be beneficial for the woman.

He knew that the woman saw him divert back into his human form. Vlad rubbed his temple as he thought about her inevitable reaction. He watched enough soap operas when he was hospital bound to know that women normally reacted to lies with screaming and yelling with the possibility of throwing nearby objects. Vlad was relieved to know that the woman wouldn't be able to throw anything in her current state which meant his lab was safe.

A soft moan came from the sleeping woman. Vlad stood quietly unsure what to do. "That must have been some party," Catalina mumbled to herself as her brown eyes opened slowly. "How are you feeling?" she asked catching sight of him.

The flippant attitude infuriated Vlad even more; how could the woman make light of the situation. "Catalina," he said roughly, his anger evident in his voice. She turned her head to face him and gave him a weak smile. "What were you thinking? Let me answer that: you weren't. I had everything under control," Vlad said his voice on the edge of shouting. The woman's skeptical look when he said he was in control made the older halfa even madder.

"I'm your friend, duh," the woman shouted back or tried to; her voice was horse. Vlad paused and the woman took the silence to speak. "I'm not some agreement for profit or even an ally," she said angrily before her gaze softened, "I'm your friend and I didn't want you to get hurt." The infuriating smile returned, but Vlad couldn't direct his anger at her. "I guess you're okay," she muttered to herself, but Vlad didn't hear.

 _Friend,_ the last person who had called him that ruined his life. Vlad had business partners and acquaintances, but not friends. Most people only wanted his money or they feared him. "Uh, Plasmius, or Mr. Masters, I don't know which you prefer," Catalina called out. "Can I sit up? It's very awkward speaking to you when I'm laying down." Vlad nodded his head still distracted by his thoughts and wanted to prevent the woman from continuing to babble about how she wanted to sit up. He watched as the woman got into a sitting position slowly, her eyes were looking at him with that searching gaze. "I don't know what you're thinking but from the look on your face it's unpleasant. If this about your friend that caused your accident, I know that you feel betrayed, but I won't betray you." Her voice seemed concerned before she gave him a small smile. Catalina wrapped her arms around herself. She was shivering slightly, "I hate to be an ungrateful guest, but do you have a blanket. It's freezing in here."

Vlad narrowed his eyes at the comment; the lab was at a reasonable temperature and with her warm core, Catalina shouldn't feel cold. Her ecto-signature was definitely unstable even more so than Daniel's which was a cause for concern. Vlad noticed at that moment that the woman didn't react negatively to his halfa secret. "Don't worry about it you clearly have a lot on your mind. Probably coming up with a plan to get back at Timus. Personally, I'm sure that we can show him his place. No one messes with Plasmius and Alma," the woman chattered happily throwing a fake punch.

"Of course, we'll have to show him that there are consequences that come with betraying me," Vlad answered.

"Great, when can we get to work?" Catalina asked excited leaning forward at the edge of the IV in her arm.

"After you get some rest. Your teleportation trick was really uncalled for and rash," Vlad scolded.

The woman chuckled, "But it was fun. Well, I guess it wasn't because I thought you were going to die. And that is not fun. But everything turned out okay."

Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose and wondered how the woman could make light of the situation. "I'm going to unhook you from the IV. Try to sit still for two seconds," Vlad said exasperated.

"I don't know, I feel the sudden urge to run laps," the woman responded sarcastically. Vlad shook his head wondering why the two other halfas had to be a snarky teen and an insane woman. The woman was freed from the contraption quickly, but she didn't jump off the table like the older halfa expected.

"Are you feeling well?" Vlad asked knowing that the woman was probably his best chance in getting Daniel on his side and he couldn't have her dying on him.

"Yup, never better," the woman said jumping to her feet before swaying and grabbing the edge of the lab table. "I probably should get home. I'm sure it's late and we both need to be in the office bright and early tomorrow. And before you say anything, I'm not taking the day off."

Vlad shook his head, knowing that the woman could be stubborn when the cause suited her. "If you insist on running yourself into the ground, then I insist that you take this." The older halfa tossed the almost forgotten bag of herbs. "Make tea out of it and be sure to drink all of it."

"I'll be sure to do that. Be sure to get some rest as well," Catalina said pushing off from the lab table to stand upright. Vlad led the woman through his mansion to the front door. "Your house is very beautiful and huge," the woman said with awe. "I think I would get lost if I lived here," Catalina said with a laugh. "But you have a good sense of direction. You're able to lead us through the Ghost Zone and there are no directional clues there," the woman continued paused at the front door.

"Catalina," Vlad called out attempting to remind her that the hour was late.

"Yes, Plasmius…Mr. Masters… Sir?" she stuttered.

"Vlad is fine," Vlad interrupted.

Catalina gave him an odd look before nodded, "Vlad then." She said it with hesitation as if the name was foreign. "My friends call me Cat."

DP~DP~DP~

Eris flew through the Ghost Zone upset. She had hoped to step into the fight between Timus and the two halfas, but she was unable to. She had even hoped that they had destroyed the female halfa, but she was sorely disappointed. Although the Roman ghost sent both halfas on the run, Eris had watched as he let them go. "Where do you think you're going?" Timus's rough voice called out.

Against her better judgement, Eris stopped and turned to face the other ghost, "I don't believe that's any of your business." She put her hands on her hips.

"After the amount of my men that I lost at your suggestion, I think your business is my business," Timus said towering over the woman.

"Just continue on with your afterlife, Timus. You don't want to be caught up in my affairs," Eris warned narrowing her eyes at the ancient ghost. The older ghost caught hold of her wrist.

"You're not even a Recorder, are you?" Timus asked his hands leaking ecto-energy.

"You're going to let me go," Eris responded coldly glaring at his hand, not bothering to respond to his actual question.

"I don't think I'm going to. You lied to me," Timus accused angrily. "I betrayed Plasmius's trust and he'll have my head, but I won't be moving on by myself, " Timus threatened.

Eris sighed, "This is your last chance to release me." Her eyes caught sight of the gathering darkness.

"Ha, Do you think I fear a ghost as weak as you?" the ancient ghost mocked.

Eris grinned at the man, "I'm not the one you need to be afraid of." The other ghost smirked back before the darkness that surrounded the pair smashed into his back. Timus's eyes became wide as the darkness seeped into his flesh causing it to bubble. The Roman ghost's eyes shut before reopening as a dark black void. "I didn't think you'll take his form, Master," Eris said to the possessed ghost.

"This host won't last long, but it's acceptable until I can get my perfect host."

"Of course, Master. I'm sure between the both of us we can find a way to direct the halfas," Eris said.

"We don't have a lot of time. _He'll_ figure out what we're planning soon enough."

DP~DP~DP~

Clockwork narrowed his eyes at the vision in his window into the Timestream.

Catalina floated in front of Plasmius her red eyes wide in panic. She held her hands in front of her face. Each blue finger coated in green ectoplasm. "Vlad," she called out shakenly.

The older halfa glared at the woman. "We do not speak about this to anyone about this," he said roughly turning to ignore the female halfa.

"But Vlad."

"NO. If anyone finds out you pulled out that ghost's core and…ate it," Plasmius shook his head his face clearly disgusted. Catalina wiped the ectoplasm on the corner of her mouth, clearly embarrassed.

"I didn't mean to. I just… I was so cold."

The older halfa sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. "Don't do it again. If you are caught, I won't protect you." Although the words were harsh, the man's expression softened. "We'll find a solution to this cold problem."

The woman gave a bright smile and nodded enthusiastically.

The scene rippled being replaced with a scene from Amity High School. Danny was staring shocked. "Put me down," a voice grumbled from the spot that the teen halfa was staring at. A large blonde teen was being held off the ground by a blue ghost.

"It's not very fun being bullied is it?" the female ghost said mockingly. The teen was struggling in the ghost's arms, but was unable to move. "You're frightened? Good. I want you to leave this kid and his friend alone. If you don't, then it won't be a warning next time," the ghost warned before dropping the teen to the floor where he took off running bumping into Danny.

"You didn't have to do that, Cat," Danny said.

"Did you see the look on his face? He was absolutely terrified of me," the woman said gleefully before seeing Danny's unsure face. "I'm sorry got a little caught up making sure my little badger didn't get bullied at school."

"Don't call me that," Danny said upset.

Catalina laughed light-heartedly. "I know. It was just a bit of fun. I should go before someone catches me, see you."

Clockwork watched as the two were replaced with another image.

Within the window Plasmius and Danny Phantom were flying at top speed through the Ghost Zone. "Can we trust her?" Danny asked motioning to the blue-haired ghost that was flying ahead of the pair.

"Her master doesn't want Catalina. This is a trap to draw all three of us out," Plasmius stated, his black-gloved hands curling into fists.

"I know you're a crazed fruitloop, but why are we heading straight into a trap?" Danny asked his green eyes clearly concerned. Plasmius barely reacted to the nickname that the younger halfa gave him.

"Is the hero having second thoughts about saving a fair maiden?" Plasmius quipped smirking at the younger.

"No way, Cheesehead," Danny responded quickly speeding up to be ahead of the older. Plasmius's smirk fell as soon as Danny could no longer see him. The older halfa clearly more concern than he let the younger see. Both male halfas stopped suddenly nearly crashing into their guide.

"Cat/Alma," both called out at the same time. The female halfa wasn't facing them as she floated silently. Danny gave Plasmius a nervous look, but the older man refused to meet his eyes.

"Master," the blue-haired ghost called out her soft voice sounding loud in the silence. Catalina turned slowly to face the trio. Instead of the normally bright red color, her eyes were a pure black. As the pair of voids caught sight of the two halfas, Catalina's lips twisted into a sickening smile, one with almost manic glee.

"I didn't think you two would come," the woman's voice echoed with another deeper voice. "Honestly, I thought you were smarter than this," the woman sighed.

"Let her go," Plasmius growled his hands glowing with red energy.

The woman smirked at the older halfa's display. "And why-" the woman started; Plasmius quicker than either could react snatched something from around Eris's neck. The possessed Catalina stopped her bragging immediately; her black eyes narrowing.

"This is why you will release Catalina," Plasmius said holding out what he had took. Swinging in front of his smirk, was a large black orb.

"Why would I want that?" Catalina asked with a sigh pointing to the black orb.

"Then you don't mind if we destroy it," Danny spoke up, his hands glowing green.

Clockwork closed the window into the timestream; knowing the result of the battle that would have started. He shook his head in disbelief. It was impossible for _him_ to return. They had made sure of it. The time ghost left his tower in a hurry to find the one ghost he needed to speak to.

He was grateful that she lived nearby. Clockwork slowed his flight when he neared a large tree that easily matched the size of his own domain. The time ghost looked up into the branches; some were laden with bright red leaves, others with small buds. Clockwork knocked on the wooden door in the trunk of the tree. "Terra, it's me."

The door swung open into the empty trunk. Clockwork floated in looking around the wooden expanse. "Clockwork, wow. I'm surprised that you came to visit. Let me guess your little toys are in trouble," a female voice called out unamused before the source came into view. The woman had pure white hair that floated around her lower back. She crossed her arms around her waist scrunching the white ice-like material of her floor-length dress.

"Terra, this is important. More important than our petty differences," Clockwork said trying to convince the female ghost to listen to him. The woman sighed; at her exhalation, the white coloring on her hair and clothing was drained away replaced with green. "It's Xaoc," Clockwork said shifting into his child form.

Terra's eyes darted away and she turned away from the time ghost, her green leaf-patterned dress swirled violently. "That's impossible. We took away his physical form. He's nothing but ectoplasm now; really just wisps of energy. How could he gather himself to even affect the Timestream?"

"Does it really matter how he did it?" Clockwork asked becoming his elderly form, "What matters is that he's loose in the Timestream."

Terra turned back to face the time ghost, her green hair turning a bright yellow. "And threatening your toys, no doubt. They would hold enough power to host whatever is left of him," Terra said with a smirk.

"Terra, you know I need your approval to interfere with the timestream," Clockwork pleaded.

The female ghost narrowed her eyes at the time ghost. "And why should I give it to you? After what you did to me," Terra asked dangerously. The yellow in her hair draining into bright red.

"Pariah Dark had to be stopped. You and Xaoc agreed," Clockwork reminded.

Terra looked away from the time ghost, " I didn't know how you intended to interfere… But my answer is final. As one of the three guardians of time, I'm not giving you permission to intervene in the timestream. Just get your little toys solve your problem like you always do."

"Terra, reconsider," Clockwork called out to the female ghost.

"You know Clockwork. Before Xaoc went insane, he was always pointing out your meddling in the time stream. Back then I thought he was just jealous that you're the only one of us who could actually affect the way this parade of time went, but the more I think back the more I agree with him," Terra said staring into his eyes. "Though I may reconsider if you allow me to watch the timestream beside you like I once did."

Clockwork thought over the proposition. The female ghost had lost her view into the Timestream after her affair with Pariah Dark; the other ghost wasn't repentant, but with Xaoc loose, Clockwork did value her insight. "I will agree to your terms," Clockwork said holding out his aged hand. Terra reached out and shook it.

* * *

A/N: Okay, Okay. I'm sorry to anyone who wanted to see Cat shout and scream at Vlad; she isn't one to shout unless the person is shouting at her.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Hi everyone. How's it going? Anyways, thank you doctor3378 for following this fic. yay. And a big thank you to all my readers. I'll see y'all at the bottom. Please R&R.

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Catalina heard the door close behind her. She looked back at the door to Vlad's castle. She sighed in relief. Knowing Plasmius was a halfa like her resulted in such a mixture of emotions that Catalina was still feeling like she was reeling. On one hand, she felt exuberant; there was three of them, three halfas. She would have hugged him much like she did with Danny, but she didn't have the energy at the moment to have done so. She was also a little upset that he didn't trust her enough, but on the other hand she understood that it was his secret to share. But now that the secret was out, Catalina was relieved for two reasons. The first was that her curiosity was sated for the moment. The second was that since Plasmius was Vlad Masters, Catalina had no chance of getting his attention. And the woman decided that this was good or at least she was sure it was.

"Hey wait a minute. I don't want to walk home," Catalina said out loud realizing that she wouldn't be able to fly herself to her home with how exhausted she was. She spun around and knocked loudly on the door, hoping that Vlad didn't wander too far. "Vlad, open the door please," Catalina called out feeling a little strange saying her boss's first name.

The door opened slowly revealing Vlad with a smug look on his face. "I was wondering how long it took you to realize that you are in no shape to fly home."

"Well, I was a little overwhelmed at the fact that you're a halfa. Oh, I'm not mad about that by the way. It's your secret not mine," Catalina said quickly, "Although I did expect that Plasmius wasn't exactly a normal ghost."

"Come on, I'll take you home," Vlad said exasperated waving to the woman to follow him to the garage. Catalina gasped when she saw the half dozen vehicles and she wasn't really a car person.

"They're beautiful," Catalina squealed running and almost tripping to touch the vehicles. She ran her fingers on the hoods of each. "This one. We have to take this one," Catalina said jumping up and down pointing excitedly to the bright red Ferrari. She looked over her shoulder to Vlad and tried to give him the most convincing pitiful look.

The man sighed before holding out a set of keys. "I'm driving," Vlad added.

DP~DP~DP~

"Certainly an odd pair," Terra commented with a smirk. She stared into the Timestream window amused.

"She seemed like she could fit," Clockwork said shifting from his elderly form to his child one.

"She damaged her core," Terra commented, "Your toy is going to lose herself to her ghost half."

"Must you refer to them as my toys," Clockwork said with annoyance.

The wintery ghost grinned, "Yes, as long as you obsess over them." Her form shifted into her fall sprite form. "If you let her continue like this, the future that had you running to me like a kicked puppy is sure."

"Plasmius will figure out how to prevent it," Clockwork assured.

Terra chuckled, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't tease. I have no doubt that the older hybrid could find the problem. It's just the matter of whether he finds it on time. Or you can just ask me and I can fix the problem."

Clockwork gave the other ghost an unamused look. "I trust you meddling with the Timestream less than the Observants."

"Your words wound me, Clockwork," Terra mocked one hand over her core.

"As they should, Terra," Clockwork responded without missing a beat.

"I forgot how much fun it was to be here," Terra chuckled. Looking into the window, Terra became serious; she knew that Xaoc was a danger not only to Clockwork and herself, but Existence in general. "Okay, Clockwork, how did you intend to interfere with the Timestream?" The seasonal ghost asked crossing her arms around her chest.

"We just need to give the three hybrids a little push."

DP~DP~DP~

Catalina sighed sinking into the soft couch sifting into her human half with some difficulty. She wrapped her arms around her waist in a futile attempt to stave off the cold that came with the transformation. It was becoming a daily occurrence after Vlad and her training sessions, but she refused to tell her mentor. She'll get use to the cold eventually. She looked to her mentor who was currently speaking to her. The female halfa gave him a wide smile.

"I know, Vlad. I think we went over our plan enough times already," Catalina complained as Vlad finished his speech again. She put her hands on her hips, "I don't know why you want to come to Amity with me. I can handle it."

"You didn't hear the news report about the artifact I was looking for?" the man asked as if he expected the woman to know his train of thought. Catalina shook her head. "It was found by an archeologist who lives in Amity. I'll be visiting to attempt to buy it from him."

"Oh, pity. I was looking forward to wear my fedora," Catalina said with a fake pout. "So will we be flying to Amity?"

"I'll be taking one of my helicopters. You can come, of course as long as Daniel doesn't see us together," Vlad said taking a sit opposite of her.

"One of.. How many helicopters do you have? How many helicopters does one person need?" Catalina asked puzzled. Vlad rolled his eyes.

"That's not of importance at the moment. What's important is that you complete your little plot. I'll be in town so try to stick with the plan," Vlad said.

Catalina narrowed her eyes at him, "I'm getting the feeling that you don't trust me."

Vlad smiled, "Don't take it personally. I don't trust anyone."

Catalina tried not to look hurt by the man's words. _But everyone needs someone they can trust,_ she wanted to say, but she bit back the words. "That's great because I don't trust anyone either," she lied; she trusted him or at least she hoped she could.

…..

The wind whipped her hair into her face as she looked out of the window of the helicopter. "I never flew before," she said with glee as she watched the patchwork of terrain pass beneath them.

She heard Vlad's chuckle, "You fly all the time."

The female halfa paused for a moment in thought, "That's not what I mean. Besides this is different."

"Indeed, I believe that this is your stop," Vlad hinted as Catalina caught sight of the welcome sign to Amity Park.

"I guess I'll be seeing you later?" Catalina asked.

"Of course. I have two rooms reserved at the local hotel," Vlad said. "We can discuss today's event then."

"Don't worry, Vlad. I got this under control," Catalina said with confidence before shifting to her ghost form and becoming intangible. She sunk through the bottom of the helicopter and floated by the outskirts of Amity.

She kept her red her eyes looking for the mercenary that Vlad had hired. The red steam that past her lips alerted the halfa to the ghost's presence. "Geis, I'm glad to see you," she greeted friendly.

The deformed ghost nodded his welcome, "I should say the same to you. I imagine you have my payment."

"Plasmius says the job needs to be done before you can get your reward. And you should be excited. Honestly, I think it's some of my best work," Catalina bragged.

"I look forward to it. I saw the young halfa enter school about a half an hour ago. We can strike in another hour so he can be settled in," Geis suggested. Catalina agreed and the pair floated as they waited.

Catalina watched as exactly on schedule, the mercenary ghost took off through the sky. She became invisible as she shadowed him.

She paused outside of Casper High for a moment. The female halfa looked down at her nails inspecting them before she heard a crash. She looked up to see a black blur flying through the sky followed by the white form of Geis. She watched invisibly as the teen halfa tried to attack the mercenary missing as the other ghost dodged.

Catalina impatiently waited till Danny realized that he was outmatched when she heard voices calling from the ground. She narrowed her eyes at the two teens on the ground; she knew that the only way Danny could see that he belonged with the older halfas was if he realized that he didn't belong here. Catalina knew that the only people that knew Danny's secret were his friends and therefore would always be a support. Gathering energy to her hand she shot an ecto-blast at Sam's feet causing the goth girl to jump back and look to the sky. The mercenary, seeing the shot, also aimed a couple of blasts at the two human teens.

Catalina heard Danny's panicked shouts as one blasts hit its target. Deciding that now was the best time, Catalina zipped in front of the two humans putting up a shield as she dropped her invisibility. "Cat," the surprised voices of Sam and Tucker shouted out.

"The one and only," Catalina said with a laugh. "You two should get out of here. Don't worry, Danny and I got this," she said with a smile.

"We're not leaving Danny," Sam said firmly.

"Yea, what she said. But if you ask again, I'll definitely go," Tucker said.

Catalina sighed, "Danny is lucky to have friends like you. Just stay here." She focused her energy to create a duplicate to stay beside the two teens before she flew up to where Danny was battling.

"Do you need help?" She asked as Danny was tossed beside her.

"What does it look like?" Danny responded clearly feeling frustrated. Catalina laughed before becoming serious. She turned her gaze to Geis who mirrored the fierce look on her face.

"You will stop this immediately. I won't let you lay another hand on him," she said with all the force she could. Geis smirked and if Catalina didn't know that she had hired him, she would have been fearful for her life. She dodged an attack to her left and sped toward the ghost shooting a couple ecto-blasts at the ghost. They missed but provided cover for Danny who flanked the ghost and sent him flying with a well-placed ecto-blast. Catalina set up a shield as the ghost passed her causing the ghost to slam into it.

Danny shot a couple of more ecto-blasts at the ghost who was tiring quickly. Catalina placed the mercenary between Danny and herself. Between the both of them the deformed ghost was weakened enough for Sam to pull out the Fenton thermos and capture him. Once the ghost was secure Danny and Catalina floated to the ground.

"Hey thanks for the help, Cat," Danny said gratefully giving the older halfa a smile.

"No problem, though I think you and I should talk later," Catalina said.

"Sure, I saw that you made a duplicate. Can you teach me how to do that?" Danny asked.

"I don't see why not. But it probably would take more than one training session to get the hang of it," Catalina said remembering her own troubles with learning the skill.

"What are you doing in town?" Sam's voice asked reminding Catalina that the two human teens were here with her.

"I actually had a business venture to go to when I sensed the ghost," Catalina lied easily. "I'm just glad that none of you are hurt."

Sam narrowed her violet eyes at Catalina as if she suspected the female halfa of something. "What sort of business?" the goth girl asked.

"Are you always this suspicious of your friends?" Catalina asked giving the goth a smile.

"We're not friends," Sam said roughly.

"Of course, Samantha. Anyways, I'm a baker and was selling my wares in the area," Catalina fibbed. "If y'all want to try any just ask. I could even mail some to you. I need someone to give me feedback."

"Maybe another time, Cat. We should be going back to class," Danny said.

"Okay. Be careful, y'all," Catalina said giving a pointed look at Sam and Tucker before waving good bye and taking off into the sky.

She flew a block away from the school before she turned back to her human form in an empty alley. The transformation was difficult, but she managed to do so in a reasonable amount of time. Catalina shivered at the deep seated cold and left the alley.

She walked down the street with a spring in her step. Daniel was going to speak with her later that day and then she could convince the young halfa to join her and Vlad. She smiled at the thought of all three of them together; they would be like a family.

She hummed to herself as she looked into store windows without a destination in mind. She passed by a dress shop and paused for a moment to look at the clothing inside. She could see a lovely green dress that caught her eye. She was so focused on the dress that she jumped when the door to the shop slammed open. The female halfa watched as a woman in tears walked out of the store to plop on a bench.

Catalina frowned feeling sorry for the woman. "Are you okay, mam?" she asked walking to the crying woman.

"No," the woman cried out.

Catalina sat down beside the woman. "Don't worry. Everything is going to be okay."

"How do you know?" the destressed woman mumbled.

"Because you're still alive. Whatever happened didn't kill you which means you were stronger than whatever just happened," Catalina said before putting her hand on the other woman's shoulder. When the female half-ghost's fingers touched the miserable woman, Catalina could feel the cold in her bones dissipate a sensation similar to drinking hot chocolate on a cold day. It was a comforting feeling for Catalina, but the distressed woman looked like she was feeling drained; Catalina quickly pieced together what was happening. Vlad once told her about ghosts that feed off misery and fear; he described as little more than parasites. She removed her hand quickly from the woman who looked absolutely sick. "I hope you get better. I have somewhere to be," the female halfa said quickly before trying to put as much space between her and the woman.

Catalina sped walked away feeling a little sick at the thought that she was feeding of the woman's misery. She looked down at her hands and rubbed them on her black skirt. Although she was horrified at what she just did, Catalina did notice that she didn't feel that uncomfortable chill anymore. Catalina shook her head and decided that she would ignore the weird event and reasoned that many ghosts feed off negative emotions. Catalina reasoned that it could be the reason that ghosts haunt places.

She continued to walk through town, but this time at a much slower rate. "You should watch where you're going," Vlad's familiar voice called out.

Catalina immediately stopped walking to look up blinkingly at Vlad who she almost walked into. "Hey Vlad. How did your shopping go?" She wouldn't let him know that anything was wrong; she wouldn't want him to look at her like she was a parasite.

"Very well. I got the artifact," Vlad said, "Without overshadowing if you were going to ask."

"Aww, too bad. Overshadowing is kinda fun," Catalina said; overshadowing became one of her favorite tricks, but she said that about every ability she had.

"If not immoral," Vlad added.

"Pssh, I don't make them do anything bad. Actually I've done a lot of good. I finally found Amelia a boyfriend. I convinced a reporter to look into our competitors." Catalina said quickly.

"I imagine that your little battle went well," Vlad assumed trying to get the female halfa on track.

"Yup, Geis is in the thermos and will be released into the Ghost Zone later. He actually did very well even got a couple of shots on Danny's friends which will make it easier to convince him that they would be in danger," Catalina said. "I'm planning on speaking with him after school if no ghosts attack."

Vlad smirked, "You know you could be more subtle with your hints. And no I won't be playing hero for this backwash town."

"Okay Plasmius. I got it. Besides, any ghost has to be crazy to attack Amity with all three of us here," Catalina said confidently. Vlad narrowed his eyes at his ghost name, but otherwise didn't comment.

"V-man," a loud man's voice called out. Catalina's eyes widened as she saw the large man in the orange hazmat run up to the pair. Catalina eyed the man weary not noticing the woman who had followed after him.

"Maddie," Vlad greeted his voice full of charm. "Jack," the male halfa added with contempt. Catalina gave a small smile to the pair. "Catalina, these are my….old friends," Vlad said with some hesitation.

The woman smiled as friendly as she could realizing that the woman was _that Maddie_ ; if the smile was more like baring her currently nonexistent fangs, it wasn't her fault. "Oh, Maddie and Jack. Hi. I've heard so much about you." She held out her hand to shake.

"A friend of Vlad's is a friend of mine," Jack said before pulling both halfas into a crushing hug. Catalina was glad that her body was more durable than a normal human and that she didn't need much oxygen. The larger man released both halfas. Vlad's unconcealed frown caused Catalina stifle a chuckle.

"What are you doing in town, Vlad?" Maddie asked.

"I had a business transaction," Vlad answered before adding, "I could have sent Catalina by herself, but then I wouldn't be able to see my friends."

Catalina rolled her eyes at the lie, but didn't say anything. "Did you happen to see a ghost around here, Vladdy?" Jack asked.

"A ghost?" Vlad repeated, "No I haven't."

"It seems like the Fenton ecto-seeker is acting up," Maddie said with a sigh holding up a strange device which gave off an annoying beeping noise.

Catalina stiffened at the word _Fenton._ She tried not to panic at the thought of two well known ghost hunters right in front of her. "I really should be going. It was nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," Catalina said with a strained chuckle. She waved quickly to the trio before hurrying away.

She looked over her shoulder several times to make sure that the ghost hunting duo were not following her. She sighed in relief as she saw that no one was following her. Slipping into an alley, the female halfa shifted forms and took off into the sky. She landed on top of Casper High and waited for the youngest halfa to exit.

"Hey, Cat," Danny called causing the woman to jump slightly. The teen halfa floated behind the woman. "So can we work on duplication?"

"Sure. First things first, I need you to sit down," Catalina said before floating down herself crossing her ankles. Danny sat down in front of the woman. "Do you normally fight ghosts?" Catalina asked though she already knew the answer.

"Everyday. They don't know that they're not welcome here," Danny said with a frown. "They are always causing some sort of trouble."

"It must be very hard on you," Catalina noted careful that her tone was sorrowful.

"My grades might suffer a little, but I'm doing fine," Danny said.

"Perhaps, but I imagine you want more in life than just fighting ghosts," Catalina said trying to sound concern which wasn't difficult because she was worried about the younger hybrid. "Besides a fourteen year old teen and his friends shouldn't be risking their lives when there are perfectly capable ghost hunters like the Fentons in town."

"My parents can't handle some of my enemies," Danny said waving his arms.

"But what if your ghost hunting gets Tucker or Sam killed. You saw that ghost today. He could have killed them and you," Catalina said firmly. "And you're in constant danger in your own home. What if something your parents make kills you."

Danny looked a little taken back as if he hadn't thought about things that way. "I'm fine, Cat. I've been doing this for a couple of months and my parents aren't a problem."

Catalina sighed, "I just worry about you, Danny." The honesty in the sentence wasn't lost on the teen. "Let's just go on with the lesson." The woman began first with the drill that Plasmius started her with. "So you can keep practicing that technique and I'll keep in touch. Just be careful not to of exhaust your core. It's getting late and I don't want your parents to think someone kidnapped you."

"They probably haven't noticed I'm gone yet," Danny said to which Catalina frowned. She was about to say something about neglectful parents, but was unable to when a stream of red hot steam passed her lips the same time blue mist left Danny's. Green and red eyes met for a moment before searching for the ghost. Both took a step back when the towering beast climbed onto the roof. If Catalina remembered correctly the creature was called a Chimera. Standing on its hind legs, the monster towered over both halfas. Catalina looked at the creature from its paws to the long snake like tail. One thing that struck her was the gear-shaped medallion swinging around its neck.

* * *

A/N: Hi guys again.

So I'm planning on making a DP SYOC fic; it may take a day to write the 'prologue' and the form. There won't be many slots, but it should be interesting. So if you are interested keep an eye out.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: A shorter chapter. I hope you enjoy. :)

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Catalina ducked as the beast's claws raked the air above her head. Danny shot a green ecto-blasts at the beast knocking it back. Catalina took the beast momentary imbalance as an opportunity to strike a couple of blue ecto-blasts knocking the beast a couple more steps back.

The chimera swung its tail catching both Danny and Catalina knocking both halfas into each other. Catalina started to push Danny off of her when the beast slashed the air above the pair. The two sighed in relief. "Is that all you got?" Danny gloated before feeling a force pulling him upward.

The spot that the beast attack looked like a tear in space. On the other side of the tear was the swirling space of the ghost zone. Catalina reached up to Danny to try and stop his involuntary trip to the ghost zone. Before she grabbed his white gloves, something grabbed the back of her neck and tossed her into Danny and into the Ghost Zone.

The female halfa spun quickly to face the way they came in just in time to see the portal close. The last thing she saw was the initials CW on the medallion on the beast's neck. "Well, this is great. I'm so going to miss my curfew," Danny said slumping his shoulders.

"Well, we'll just find a way back," Catalina said, "It shouldn't be too hard." She gave the teen a smile. "I really don't go into the ghost zone often. Do you know where we're at?" She looked through the green space of the Ghost Zone to find any familiar landmarks.

"I wouldn't ask the child; he wouldn't be able to navigate his way out of a paper bag," Vlad's voice bragged. Danny and Catalina turned to face the oldest halfa. Plasmius floated in front of the pair arms crossed.

"What are you up to now, Plasmius?" Danny asked his hands glowing green.

"Now, little badger, where are your manners? Aren't you going to introduce me to your lovely friend?" Vlad said with a smirk. "My name is Vlad Plasmius," Vlad greeted giving a gracious bow to Catalina.

Catalina put her hand to her mouth to hide her smile. "Alma Espanta, but you can call me Cat," the female halfa gave a clumsy curtsy.

"Alma, it is a pleasure to meet you," Vlad said politely.

"The pleasure is all mine," Catalina said with a smile.

"Yuck, seriously. Cat. He's evil," Danny said spreading his arms out.

Catalina sighed realizing that the two will probably go to blows. "So Mr. Plasmius, do you know where we are in the ghost zone?"

Vlad frowned, " I'm not familiar with any of these lairs."

"Cat, we don't need his help," Danny said with a frown. The tension was clear between the two, but Catalina could understand why. From what she gathered, Vlad wanted to marry Danny's mother and kill his father. She sighed looking up to the oldest halfa before noticing green spots on his normally white tunic.

"You're hurt," she said concerned floating closer to Vlad.

"It's nothing to be concerned about. We should get back to Amity before Daniel's bedtime," Vlad said with a mocking tone.

" What's wrong, Plamsius? You have a hot date tonight? You probably don't because you are a lonely fruitloop," Danny said smugly. Plamsius eyes glowed a brighter red.

"Okay you two. Let's just find our way back to Amity," Catalina said putting her hands up in a peaceful gesture.

"I'm not going anywhere with him," Danny shouted with a frown. Catalina pinched the bridge of her nose. She floated to Danny and hooked her arm with his. The female halfa then offered her other arm to Vlad. The man hooked his arm with hers obviously pleased at Danny's frown.

"Maybe we should find a ghost and ask for directions?" Catalina suggested.

"We don't need directions. I'm very familiar with the Ghost Zone. I'll be able to guide us to Amity," Vlad said.

"You'll get us lost," Danny mumbled, "If this is some plan to make me your evil apprentice, it's not going to work. Cat won't be your apprentice either." Catalina had to smile at the last sentence.

"Tell me, Daniel, if this is part of my scheme, why would I trap myself in the Ghost Zone with you?" Vlad asked.

"I don't know. I'm not a crazed fruitloop," Danny said.

"Okay, new rule. Let's not call each other names," Catalina said irritated. Both male halfas frowned at each other.

"Of course, my dear Cat," Vlad said causing Catalina's face to burn. He just called her by her nickname, not by her full name.

"Oh, uh, thank you Vlad. I mean Plasmius," Catalina stuttered. Danny gave her a disbelieving look.

"Vlad will be acceptable," Vlad said.

"This is getting really weird now," Danny said. "When I said you needed a lonely guy cat, I didn't mean like this." Catalina sputtered and even Vlad looked uncomfortable.

"Daniel, I believe that you owe Miss Alma an apology," Vlad said his tone leaving no room for argument.

"For what?" Danny asked.

"Oh look there's a ghost, I'm going to ask for directions," Catalina said shaking her head. Breaking her hold of the two male halfas who glared at each other, the female halfa sped toward the green blob. "Excuse me. My friends and I are a little lost. We're looking for Amity Park," Catalina said as friendly as she could. Two ecto-blasts shot by her head barely missing her head and the ghost she was talking to. The small blob disappeared so fast Catalina didn't have time to beg him to stay.

Catalina clenched her fists in anger spinning so fast it made her dizzy. Both Vlad and Danny froze their hands filled with pink and green energy, respectively. "What was that about? I turned my back for one moment and you are fighting each other?" she shouted. The two male halfas looked at each other nervously.

"He started it," both said at the same time.

Catalina pinched the bridge of her nose, briefly wondering when she picked up the habit. "I don't care who started it. You are both going to stop it." Surprisingly both Vlad and Danny lowered their hands.

"Why are girls so scary when they get mad?" Danny whispered to Vlad.

"Not even I have the answer for that," Vlad whispered back. Catalina gave the two another glare.

"I'm going to find someone else to ask for directions," Catalina said stomping off which wasn't as effective as when she is human.

"Good job, fruitloop," Danny said, "we lost our only way back to Amity."

"Danny, name calling," Catalina called back. She could hear Vlad's chuckling. "Vlad, don't you start as well." The woman sighed it was going to be a long way back to Amity.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Hello everyone it's been a while. I actually was thinking about quitting this fic, but thanks to Rhimona who followed and favorite this fic and a lovely guest review I decided to continue.

* * *

It never ceased to surprise Vlad how quickly Catalina could change emotions. One moment she could be steaming mad and the next back to bubbly. Currently the woman was speaking with Daniel with that grin that never seemed to slip. "Now that's creepy," Danny said as his nose scrunched.

"I know. He's been bugging me since then to go out with him," Catalina said, "I don't think he understands hints."

"Sounds a lot like you, fruitloop," Danny said drawing Vlad into the conversation.

Vlad knew that he hadn't been listening to the conversation between the two younger halfas, so he didn't have much context to the statement. He did roll his eyes at Danny's comment which was no doubt an insult. "There is no resemblance between myself and this stalker," Vlad answered smoothly keeping his temper in check.

"He doesn't follow me. Well, there was that one time I thought I saw him outside my house, but I don't think that counts," Catalina said, "Then again… Nevermind forget that I said anything." She gave the two male halfas a smile. Vlad narrowed his gaze; he knew who Catalina was speaking about and to hear that someone was bothering his apprentice was definitely upsetting.

"I think that's the definition of a stalker, Cat," Danny said, "I'm sure Vlad knows all about stalking."

"Okay, that's enough we can't start fighting now," Catalina said putting her hands up to separate the two male halfas. The three settled again. "Do you recognize anything now?" she asked Vlad, her tone was hopeful.

Vlad looked at the surrounding area and frowned. None of the floating doors looked familiar. He shook his head negative to answer the woman's question.

The green space in front of the trio was torn apart revealing the large beast that tossed them into the Ghost Zone. Vlad held out his arm to stop the two younger halfas from getting closer. The large beast stepped out of its own portal. The portal closed after its snake tail slipped through. "You're the freak that trapped us here," Danny shouted before jetting toward the beast who swatted the teen halfa away.

Vlad could feel Catalina take a battle stance. "Catalina, take a defensive stance. Make sure neither of us get hit," he whispered to the female halfa.

"Sure thing," Catalina responded before duplicating and sending the duplicate to Danny who decided to charge at the chimera again. Catalina's duplicate created a shield blocking the attack that would have hit Danny.

Vlad flew in the opposite direction to try and flank the creature. Catalina trailed closely. The beast shot an ecto-blast which was stopped by Catalina's blue ecto-shield. She dropped it as Vlad shot a pink ecto-blast that hit the ghost beast square in the chest sending it reeling to Danny who gave the ghost a good punch. The beast's tail tried to swipe at the older halfa pair. Catalina's shield held true and the appendage bounced off.

Unfortunate neither Vlad nor Catalina saw the clawed paw that hit both halfas. Vlad held a hand to the trio of scratch marks across his chest that leaked ectoplasm. He spared a glance to Catalina who also had a hand to her stomach. "Look, my blood is green," she pointed out holding out her hands. "Is that normal?"

Vlad sighed, "yes, that's normal and it's ectoplasm not blood." A blue ecto-shield blocked a green ecto-blast. "I'm going to get closer to the beast. Stay close," he informed his apprentice who gave him a smirk.

The eldest halfa flew to the beast watching as the creature's attacks were deflected with Catalina's ecto-shields. Vlad gathered energy to his hands and converted it into electricity. Danny used ecto-blasts to prevent the beast from escaping the eldest halfa attack. Vlad lunged holding out his electricity-filled hand toward the beast's chest. The attack made contact and the chimera roared in pain before the creature's paw clawed at the air above Vlad. Almost instantaneously Vlad felt a gravity-like pull that forced him away from the beast.

The eldest halfa looked behind him to see Amity Park's skyline through a portal. "Catalina, Daniel," he called out to the pair. Both younger halfas nodded and dodged the creature to fly into the portal after Vlad.

DP~DP~DP~

Catalina looked up at the starry sky that indicated that the three of them were finally back in the human world. "We're back," Catalina said relieved. "What time is it?" she asked looking at the bright moon as if it could tell her.

"Past midnight," Vlad answered. "Time for little badgers to be at home."

"I'll walk you home, Danny. It was nice to meet you, Vlad," Catalina said before the youngest halfa could respond to the eldest's comments. She waved at Vlad while she tugged at Danny's arm.

"I can walk home by myself, Cat," Danny said changing into his human form. Catalina did the same with little difficulty.

"I know, but I wanted to make sure that you were okay. We were just in a fight," Catalina said as if her motives were obvious. The teen huffed that he was fine. "You're limping," Catalina pointed out. She released the teen from her grasp.

"I'm not," Danny said with insistence. Catalina pointed to his right foot with one hand while placing the other on her hip. "I must have twisted it when I landed back here. It's not a big deal," Daniel said with a shrug.

"Not a big deal. You're limping. Won't your parents be worried? Do you need me to carry you? You know so you don't hurt it more," Catalina rambled feeling concerned for the younger halfa. She already took a step to the teen ready to pick him up.

"No. I can walk. How about you? You're bleeding," Danny said pointing to the three red slash marks that appeared on the woman's pink blouse.

"Aww. And I liked this shirt, too," Catalina said with a frown. "Don't worry about me Danny. I brought a first aide kit, so I'll patch myself when I get back to my hotel room. But the blood will stain this." Catalina pulled at the blouse that was starting to stick to her. The woman looked up and saw the strangest building. The bottom looked like a normal red brick building, but on stop was a massive metallic structure with dishes and antennas sticking out of it.

"Is this your house?" Catalina asked pointing to the blaring sign reading 'Fenton Works'.

"Yup, I told you my parents are very enthusiastic ghost hunters," Danny said.

Catalina stopped following Danny. "Uh, I guess that you made it home okay so I'll just let you go to sleep." She backed slowly from the building that housed the pair of ghost hunters that would love to dissect her.

"Cat, can you meet with me tomorrow afternoon and teach me more about duplication?" Danny asked as if he thought she would say no.

"Sure thing. I did offer to teach you. And I don't back down," Catalina said, "But we can talk more tomorrow. It's late and you need to sleep. Good night, Daniel."

"Danny," Danny corrected, but continued climbing the stairs to the front door.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad looked at his reflection in the mirror. The wounds he sustained earlier were still visible but healing. "Those cuts don't look as bad as I thought they would," Catalina's voice came causing Vlad to spin to face the woman.

"Catalina, you should at least inform me if you were coming into my room," Vlad scolded pulling on the top of his pajamas feeling a little exposed.

"Sorry I just came to make sure that you were okay," the woman responded her brown eyes full of concern. She held up a small first aide kit. "You were sliced open by that thing's claws. What if the wounds get infected? What if you get sick? What if you bleed to death?" the woman said quickly.

Vlad sat at the edge of the bed and rubbed his temples with his forefingers. "Go ahead and do what you wanted to," he said with irritation knowing that it was the quickest way to rid himself of the hovering halfa.

She gave him a cheeky smile before opening the first aide kit beside the man. She got to work bandaging small cuts that he received in the first fight he had with the beast. "You are wasting your time. They will heal within minutes," Vlad pointed out to the woman.

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I'm not concerned for your safety," Catalina said as she wrapped gauze around the wounds on his chest. She only stopped when Vlad looked more like a mummy than human. She smiled and laughed. "Now I know you'll be okay."

Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose. "You can return to your room, now. We'll be leaving in the morning," Vlad said dismissing the woman.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something else," Catalina said her cheerful tone nervous. Vlad crossed his arms, but allowed the woman to speak. "I know that we agreed not to speak about this, but I can't stay quiet. Vlad, you need to stop chasing Madeline," Catalina said.

Vlad clenched his hands into fists, anger already burning through his veins. "Why should I? I deserve her more than that oaf."

Catalina held up her hands as if to calm him. "I absolutely agree. She would be better off with you, but… But you won't be better off with her. She's a poison in both yours and Danny's lives."

"That's enough, Catalina," Vlad hissed warning the woman. He stood abruptly giving the woman space.

"No, it's not enough," Catalina responded just as admittedly. "She has done nothing good for you. She has only brought you pain."

"I love her, Catalina," Vlad said, "And I'll do anything to have her."

The woman put her hands on her hips, "That doesn't sound like you love her. If you loved her, you would want her to be happy. Something she would never be with you."

"What do you know of love?" he asked the woman. "A poor girl being bounced around from home to home never belonging anywhere?" It was a low blow to bring up the woman's time in the foster system, but the man was mad enough to do so.

"My father loved my mother and me. I'll always know what it feels to love and be loved," Catalina answered as if the comment about the foster homes didn't hurt her, but Vlad could see the sadness in her brown eyes.

"Oh yes. Your father loved your mother so much he lied to her for months. Having another woman on the side and the gambling," Vlad said trying to knock down the argument.

"You know nothing of my family," Catalina hissed her eyes turning red for the briefest moments.

"And that's why they died isn't it? Gambling debts finally caught up to him," Vlad said smugly.

Catalina bristled at the man's words her hands were fists at her sides. "So if you had Madeline, you'll be different?" She scoffed, "You'll hide your ghost half and all your ghost employees because we both know what she'll do to you. She'll put you on a lab table and rip you apart molecule by molecule."

"Maddie would do no such thing," Vlad said confident that the love of his life would never do something so distasteful.

Catalina rolled her eyes, "Come on, Vlad. I thought you were a genius. That woman is as obsessed as the ghosts she hunts."

Vlad grabbed the woman by her pink blouse picking her up so they were eye to eye. Vlad could be patient, but no one insulted Maddie in front of him. "I'll consider the next words that come out of your mouth before you say them," he snarled.

"I'm your friend, Vlad. I only want the best for you," Catalina said frustrated and not at all scared like Vlad wanted.

Vlad narrowed his eyes at the woman, "I don't need any friends." He pushed the woman away. She stumbled a little but regained her balance quickly. She turned away from him turning into her ghost form.

Vlad watched as she walked slowly to the window in his room. She lowered her head with a sigh. "I used to wonder why you were so alone, but I know now. You push everyone away. You are so afraid of being hurt, but you will never get the love you want if you don't let anyone in," she said softly before flying intangible out of the building.

DP~DP~DP

Catalina flew through the starry sky. She tugged at her hair in frustration. How can a man who was so smart be so stupid? The female halfa huffed to herself settling on a rooftop. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The man drudged up some unpleasant memories and the woman was trying to contain the old feelings of rejection and loneliness. She could remember as if it was yesterday the evening she was at her babysitter's house with the flu while her parents went to a movie. She remembered everything. She hung her head as sobs racked her body, but no tears would form.

She got to her feet slowly. Catalina knew she needed to get some sleep to prepare for the trip home tomorrow. The female halfa wondered if Vlad would fire her; he had the power to do so. He could deny her access to his territory and she knew she couldn't fight to remain there.

"Freeze, Spook," a male voice shouted breaking Catalina's train of thought. The halfa turned quickly to face whoever called out to her. Her red eyes widened at the massive figure of Jack Fenton holding out a strange gun.

"I'm just about to leave," Catalina said floating up as a green shot passed where she was before. She darted to her left as the man shot at her again. Catalina felt something wrap around her waist pulling her back down onto the rooftop. Her chin hit the roof with a thud and the woman was lucky that she didn't bite her tongue.

"Where's my son?" a woman's voice asked the grounded halfa. Catalina looked up at the blue hazmat wearing woman. Catalina shrunk back a little.

"I don't have your son, ma'am," Catalina said shakily. She tried to phase out of the device that pinned her arms to her waist, but whatever the device prevented her from escaping.

"Wrong answer, spectral freak," Maddie shouted pushing a button on the tube like device in her hand. Electric shocks ran through the bands that held Catalina bound. The woman shrieked as red hot pain wrapped around her waist. The metal bands dug into her previous wounds opening the healing lacerations. "Jack, did you bring the Fenton Weasel?" Catalina gritted her teeth at the continued electrical shocks.

"Are we going to rip it apart molecule by molecule?" Jack asked with an enthusiastic tone pulling into view what appeared to be a vacuum cleaner. Catalina looked fearfully at the male ghost hunter.

"No, Jack, dear. We're going to dissect it," Maddie answered. Catalina was staring down the nozzle of the Fenton Weasel as Jack flipped the switch.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Hi everyone, I'll just like to say thank you again to the guest that reviewed. I got those musey vibes.

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Terra watched as the female halfa was sucked into the small vacuum cleaner. "Aren't you going to do something?" she asked feeling a little concern for the halfa.

"No, I'm letting the time stream run its course," Clockwork said his form shifting from child to adult.

The seasonal ghost frowned at the response her own form shifting from fall to winter. "But they'll kill her and expose your other halfa puppets."

"That is one of the many paths the timeline can take," Clockwork admitted not bothering to look at the female ghost.

Terra narrowed her eyes at the time master. She could only see what Clockwork wanted her to and at the moment she was watching the large Jack Fenton speed rapidly through the streets. She couldn't see what lied ahead for the halfa and that made her frustrated. She sighed to herself; she had been accused of caring too much for the creatures of the timeline and she would have disagreed if it wasn't so. "I'm not watching as she gets torn apart. I'm going back to my tree." With that the seasonal ghost, flew out of the clock tower.

She flew through the empty space clutching her hands in anger. It was like Pariah Dark all over again. Terra wanted to redirect the misguided ghost, but Clockwork and the other Ancients thought it was best to seal the ghost away. "Disappointing, isn't it?" a male voice said sounding all too familiar to the seasonal ghost.

Terra turned to see a ghost; a toga wearing ghost with black hair and blue skin. Terra didn't recognize the ghost but she recognized the voice. "Xaoc," she said almost asked. The ghost nodded his head. "It's almost sad to see you reduced to a parasite," Terra said softly, "almost."

The ghost's black eyes narrowed. "I almost forgot how charming you could be,"Xaoc said sarcastically.

"Xaoc, what are you doing here?" Terra asked feeling a little tired of the other ghost.

"I was going to ask a favor of you," Xaoc said with a smirk.

"What's in it for me?" Terra asked crossing her arms.

"How would you like to see Pariah again?" Xaoc asked. Terra didn't answer, but the other ghost knew exactly what the answer was. He chuckled at the female ghost. "I thought so. I just need you to distract Clockwork. It'll only be for a moment."

Terra narrowed her eyes, "I think you should be leaving." The seasonal ghost knew she had to dismiss the other ghost before he could convince her to join him. It wouldn't take much; after seeing Clockwork play with the creatures in the Timestream, Terra wasn't sure what to think of the time ghost.

"If that is what you think is best," Xaoc said turning away from the female ghost. "I just thought that out of all the Ancients you would have understood how corrupted Clockwork has become. First, Pariah and now these three halfas."

"-Wait," Terra called out thinking over the other ghost's words. If Xaoc was facing her, she would have seen his malignant grin. "I can see what I can do. You promise that I'll see Pariah?"

Xaoc turned around to face the seasonal ghost. "Of course, you can even keep watch over the Timestream once we usurp Clockwork."

"Deal," Terra said before she changed her mind.

DP~DP~DP~

Catalina shifted the best she could in the confining space of the Fenton Weasel. She tried not to groan at her knees that were digging themselves in her chest. She could feel sticky ectoplasm slip down her side; her wounds undoubtfully opened again. The female halfa wondered briefly if she should push the distress signal that Vlad installed on her little bracelet. Perhaps it was her pride that told her she could get out of this mess herself or possibly because she knew that Vlad was still seething. She bumped her funny bone on the corner of her prison causing pinpricks to run down her arm. "I guess, it couldn't hurt to call him," she said to herself trying to squirm to reach her wrist.

The sound of the Fenton Weasel turning on made Catalina jump hitting her head on the edge of her container before she found herself tumbling out of the vacuum cleaner. She was about to take off when a green blast struck her shoulder knocking her down to a metal floor. Her nerves felt like they were on fire. Catalina tried to move, but her body was failing to respond. She was stunned enough to be man handled onto a table.

Restraints were tightened along her arms and legs. She tried to turn intangible, but was rewarded with a shock. She screamed at the pain. "Please, just let me go," she begged the two human ghost hunters. They either didn't hear or decided that whatever she had to say was unimportant. Catalina looked fearfully at the tools Maddie Fenton pulled out.

The woman debated to turn back to her human half. She quickly decided against this; knowing about her halfa nature could cause more interest from the ghost hunters. "I'll leave Amity. Please just let me go," she tried once again watching the blue ghosthunter lower a scalpel to her collarbone. The silver metal broke through black fabric and blue skin before bright green ectoplasm streamed staining said black material.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad laid on his bed fingering the excessive bandages. This only caused his thoughts to go to his apprentice. He didn't believe that Maddie was poison; she was his one true love. Everything will be right once she was his along with Daniel. He wouldn't need to hide his ghost half; Maddie would accept both her son and himself. Catalina didn't understand and would never understand.

Thinking about the female halfa, Vlad was surprised not to sense her ghost signature in the nearby room. He figured that the woman was still upset. He turned to lay on his side. The clock glowed the time. Vlad frowned; it had been over two hours since the woman left. She would have cooled off by now.

Vlad sighed getting off of his comfortable bed and getting dressed. He wasn't worried about the woman; he was just curious what was taking her so long to return. The billionaire looked at his wrist to see the blinking dot that represented Catalina's position.

Changing into Plasmius, Vlad took off into the sky. He was only going to get an apology from the woman and to remind her that they would be leaving in the morning. Vlad followed the signal until the bright lights of Fenton Works drew his attention.

His stomach sank as he had a bad feeling about the woman being in Fenton Works. Thinking quickly, Vlad pulled out his phone and called the woman. He knew the woman always answered the phone; it was a habit of hers that Vlad found irritating when the phone rang during training sessions, but he was grateful for the consistency now.

The woman's phone rang and rang. Vlad shifted his weight from side to side, but if anyone were to ask him if he was nervous, he would answer no. The ringing on the other side was ended with Catalina's voice, "Hey, sorry for missing your call. Please leav-" Vlad cut off the call.

Turning invisible and intangible, Vlad floated through the door. The house was dark, but Vlad could see easily enough with his enhanced sight. There was no one visible in the living room. Vlad felt Catalina's familiar ghost signature. He quickened his pace floating down the hall.

A loud scream made Vlad pause briefly. "What are you doing here?" Daniel's voice asked. Vlad looked at the younger halfa who must have woken up at the scream, his raven hair spiked in a disorderly fashion.

"I'm looking for Catalina," Vlad answered continuing his trek.

"Catalina?" Daniel repeated following the older halfa.

"Cat, Alma. Whatever you call her," Vlad said. Another scream broke off the conversation as both halfas hurried down to the lab.

Vlad had seen many things during his time in the hospital and even as a halfa, but he wasn't prepared to see his apprentice strapped to a once shiny metallic table with two hazmat-wearing humans hovering over her open body.

His red eyes watched green ectoplasm drip off the metal table and his ears were ringing at the sounds of the hoarse screams. Vlad felt anger burn through his veins, pink energy buzzing in his hands. "Step away from her," he snarled. Both humans looked at him shocked.

Two pink ectoblasts knocked the ghost hunters away from his apprentice. Dull red eyes met his and the woman gave a weak fanged smile. Vlad couldn't meet those red orbs reflecting pain and relief. He shot another ecto-blast at the man who thought he could shoot at the halfa.

Vlad duplicated sending the duplicate to distract the human ghost-hunters. The real Vlad floated down to Catalina's side trying to avoid looking at what the humans did to her. "I'm sorry," a soft voice breathed.

"Don't," Vlad responded as he tore off the restraints ignoring the burning sensation in his hands. He took off his cape, wrapping it around the woman in one smooth motion. Vlad picked up the woman holding her bridal style. Catalina's blue fingers grasped the white material of his tunic in desperation. She buried her face in his chest.

Vlad pulled her closer. His red eyes flashed angrily at the human ghost-hunters. He was disgusted with them. The oldest halfa secured Catalina once more before flying past the human hunters and Danny who was standing shocked in the doorway.

Vlad could feel Catalina shake in his arms. "Stay in your ghost form, Catalina," he said his tone was angry, but it wasn't directed at her. The woman nodded with a sniffle.

"Th-th-thank you," the woman stuttered.

"Save your energy," Vlad growled. He was slightly surprised at his protectiveness of the woman, but he decided it stemmed from needing her to get to Daniel. "Catalina, I'm going to go back to my castle. It'll take a couple of teleportation jumps, so just take a breath when I do." Vlad took a deep breath and could feel Catalina take one as well sounding a little moist. He looked down to see spots of green stain his white cape.

DP~DP~DP

Danny stood frozen in the doorway to the lab. His blue eyes fixated on the puddle of green on the lab table. _That could have been me_ , Danny thought his eyes running over the tools. The young halfa backed away from the lab slowly.

"Danny, dear. Are you alright?" his mother asked reaching out to touch the teen with green-stained gloves. Danny flinched away from the woman.

"That spook didn't hurt you, did he, son?" Jack asked also looking concerned.

Danny shook his head backing away, "No. I'm fine. I'll just go to bed." The teenage halfa ran up the stairs and closed the door to his room a little harder than he intended to. He tried to forget what he saw in the lab, but it was burned in his memory.

He never was scared of his parents before, but now he wondered if what Catalina had been saying was right.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Hi everyone. Thank you flamthower500 and aryaneragon4ever for following and favoriting this fic. And a big thank you for all of my readers. just FYI: reviews make my day and are greatly appreciated.

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Danny tossed and turned as he laid on his bed. He tried to shut his eyes but all he saw was green ectoplasm everywhere. He opened his blue eyes as he sat up shaking. He looked for his phone quickly and called Catalina.

The teen was positive that the woman wouldn't answer. She probably wasn't even conscious; his stomach clenched at the thought of the woman's injuries. As the phone rang, a thought struck Danny; Catalina could be dead. "Daniel," Vlad's voice called out thankfully taking the teen's mind off the probable death of the female halfa.

"Give the phone to Cat, fruitloop," Danny responded on impulse; normally he hated the older halfa, but now he was only concern for the woman.

"Little badger, I don't have time for this nonsense," the man responded just as quickly his voice stressed. The call ended with a beep. Danny looked at the phone as his heart sank.

There was no way that the woman was okay if she let Vlad answer the phone. Knowing Vlad he was probably torturing her to get information or something, Danny decided he couldn't wait around to hear from the woman.

The teen halfa got out of bed writing a quick note to his parents saying that he was going to go to Tucker's. It was earlier than he normally woke up, but Danny couldn't sleep. He left the note on the kitchen counter.

Danny left his house turning into his ghost half in a nearby alley. Danny Phantom flew into the air and chose the direction that would lead him to his arch-enemy's mansion. He flew at top speed as the sun rose behind him. All the young halfa could think of is that his new found friend was in the hands of his enemy and injured and he was going to save her.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad sat beside the bed; he kept an eye on the steady rise of the woman's chest. His enhance hearing could pick up the steady beat of the woman's heart which was a comfort to hear considering the woman had went into hypovolemic shock when she lost consciousness and turned into her human half. Luckily, Vlad had a ghostly physician and a supply of blood bags. He had figured out a long time ago that he couldn't visit a physician without raising a lot of questions, so he tried to keep his mansion well supplied.

The billionaire deciding that woman was stabilized turned to the ghost that floated in the corner. "Thank you, Louis. I believe that your services will no longer be needed," Vlad said to the physician. The ghost gave the oldest halfa further instructions before leaving.

As the ghost phased through the door, Vlad sensed another ghost nearby. A knock came at the door; although his servants could phase through the door, Vlad had insisted that they informed him of their presence before entering. "Enter," Vlad answered before the ghost phased in.

"Master Vladimir, there's a child at the front door that insists on entering," the ghostly butler said formally, his red eyes looking once to the injured halfa.

Vlad sighed irritated knowing who exactly the child was. "I'll go speak with him," the billionaire stated as he got to his feet. He hurried to the front door before Daniel decided to force his way in.

The billionaire walked into the foyer. Daniel was sitting tensely on one of the leather couches. His fingers were tapping a pattern on his knee. "Where's Cat, fruitloop?" the teen said jumping to his feet his hands clenched into fists.

Vlad narrowed his eyes at the nickname, "She's resting." He had to keep his temper; if he lost it, there will be a fight.

The teen continued to glare at the older halfa. "I want to see her," Danny said straightening his horrible posture to reach his full height.

"She needs her rest," Vlad said firmly.

"She needs to get away from you," Daniel said just as firmly. Vlad knew he had to calm down this confrontation before an actual fight broke out and damage his home; he had just redecorated.

"Follow me and don't touch anything," Vlad instructed the younger halfa. The billionaire walked back to the guest room that he put Catalina in after she was stabilized. He opened the door and entered followed by Daniel who pushed past the billionaire to get to the woman's side.

Vlad watched the teen took the seat he occupied earlier. "When is she going to wake up?" he asked.

"She should regain consciousness within the hour," Vlad said knowing that the halfa's enhanced healing ability will repair most of the physical damage.

Vlad looked back to his apprentice who was lying too still and quiet. He couldn't decide if he liked the peace and quiet or if he missed the woman's chatter. A sharp gasp drew both male halfa's attention to the woman. Her brown eyes were wide looking around widely. "Cat," Danny called causing the woman to look at the teen.

DP~DP~DP

Catalina opened her eyes. She could feel panic eat at each muscle making them tense and ready to spring into action if one of those ghost hunters appeared. "Cat," a voice that sounded a lot like Danny said. She flinched involuntarily thinking she was at Fenton Works and the hunters were coming to tear her apart again.

"Catalina," Vlad's voice said before said man entered her vision.

Catalina shook her head; they couldn't have caught him too. _What if I'm dead?_ _Really dead this time. Then the Fentons got Vlad and Danny and killed them too... it's all my fault… We would all be fine if I hadn't took off like that. If I only paid attention…_

"Catalina," Vlad's voice repeated more firmly. The female halfa glanced at the man whose dark blue eyes looked almost concerned. "Where do you think you are?"

Catalina could feel her lips trembling. He was mad; he was mad that she got caught and got them killed. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. Please forgive me," she pleaded.

The man's stern look softened, "Stop apologizing."

"Are you okay, Cat?" Danny asked interrupting the two older halfas. The teen leaned forward waiting for her response. Catalina nodded her head even though she was incredibly sore, but she shouldn't complain. She caused the two of them a lot of trouble. "That's good. I'm sorry. I didn't know my parents caught you. If I did, I would have got you out of there faster," the teen apologized.

Catalina shook her head; it wasn't the teen's fault. It was all her fault. The woman tried to sit up before a hand on her shoulder nudged her back down. "You don't want to open up your wounds," Vlad said.

"I'm not in Fenton Works?" Catalina asked hesitantly her voice sounding hoarse from the screaming the night before.

"No, you're in my mansion," Vlad answered holding out a glass of water. The woman took it gratefully and took a small sip. The cool water was calming to her angry throat. The fact she was in Vlad's mansion was comforting, but it didn't change the fact that the two hunters were out there. That they were still looking for her.

"Cat, don't worry you're safe. My parents don't know you're here. And as soon as you're okay, you can get away from the cheesehead," Danny said sending a glare toward Vlad. The older man returned the look.

Catalina tried to calm down, but she was terrified.

DP~DP~DP

Terra floated back to Clockwork's tower. Xaoc asked her to distract the time master from the timestream. Though she agreed to help the other ghost, she didn't know how to. "Clockwork," she called out to the child-like ghost.

Clockwork turned to face Terra putting his back to the window into the time stream. Terra could see the window that the time master was looking in earlier. It was Fenton Works. A young teenage girl with red hair was reading a book while a large man with black hair and a woman with red hair were speaking animatedly to each other.

DP~DP~DP

Eris was floating through the portal that would her into the Fenton's lab. She looked nervously around the empty lab; she was relieved to see that the two ghost hunters cleaned up their mess from the night before. If one good thing came out of the vivisection of the female halfa, it pushed Terra to distract Clockwork.

This train of thought reminded Eris what she came to do. Floating to the ectofilter, Eris laid her hands on the metal box. She closed her eyes in concentration as she poured ecto-energy into the filtration system. The female ghost opened her eyes. The female ghost jetted out of the lab as quickly as she could. Master Xaoc's plan was falling into place nicely.


	17. Chapter 17

A/N:Hi everyone, it has been a while hasn't it. Sorry my muse decided to hide from me. I hope I found it again. Anyways, Thank you 12whatisthis34 for favoriting this fic. Thank you Theknightenforcer for following this fic. Thank you Theinzmann111 for following and favoriting not only this fic, but me as well.

-Theknightenforcer- thank you for your kind review. I'll keep trying to continue.

-guest- aww, thank you for your review.

Thank you everyone for putting up with me. Please enjoy this chapter.

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Sam hurried down the street; Tucker was following at her heels. She could hear his huffing and she would have mentioned that the techno-geek's diet of meat was the leading cause of his condition, but she was angry that Danny didn't meet up like they had planned.

"Slow down, Sam. I'm sure Danny just slept in," Tucker huffed, "He probably had a couple of ghost to catch last night."

"Then why didn't he call us. We could have helped," Sam said raising her voice.

"Well, that other halfa was here. Maybe she helped him," Tucker suggested.

"He needs to go to his friends first before asking some stranger," Sam fumed.

"Sam, Cat has ghost powers," Tucker said still struggling to keep up with the goth.

"And we're his friends," the girl restated. A loud boom shook the ground beneath the teens' feet. "What was that?" Sam asked running faster to reach the source of the sound having a hunch that Danny was there. "Danny," she said softly feeling fear grip her heart knowing that Danny was fighting something.

The girl mentally prepared herself to find Danny fighting one ghost or another, but instead of finding Danny, the girl was staring at a disaster area. Fenton Works was no longer standing; its foundation was smothering. Red bricks were scattered across the block. The Fenton's vehicle was on its side its tires still spinning. "Danny," Sam called out running to the ruins of Fenton Works.

"Sam, wait," Tucker shouted before managing to grab the girl. "We need to call the ambulance."

"We need to find Danny," Sam said removing her arm from Tucker's weak grip as she hurried to the van. The goth stopped short seeing all three Fentons strewed across the pavement. Jack was facedown, his bright orange hazmat torn in several places. Maddie looked slightly better, but her right leg was twisted in an unnatural fashion. Sam looked away not wanting to see the carnage.

Sirens blared as they came closer. "Is Danny there?" Tucker asked worry peppering his voice. He remained behind the Fenton's van out of sight of the bodies.

"No, he isn't," Sam said apprehension eating at her insides. "Danny," she called out running to the ruins of Fenton Works to look for her friend. She tried to move the large chunks of the walls without any luck.

"Maybe he wasn't here, Sam," Tucker said.

"I'll call him. He has to be okay," Sam said trying not to panic. She pulled out her phone and dialed Danny's number and hoped that the halfa answered. "Please be okay," she whispered to herself.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad frowned; he was starting to suspect that something was definitely wrong with the woman. She had been not only silent, but still. The ringing of a phone broke the silence of the room. Vlad glared at Danny who fumbled slightly with his phone before answering.

The teen's bright blue eyes widened. "I'll be right there." The teen got to his feet and didn't even give the older halfas a glance before flying out of the room phasing through the ceiling.

Vlad sensed the teen halfa speeding away, his ghost signature becoming harder to trace. He shook his head figuring he had more important matters than a moody teenager. The billionaire turned his attention to his apprentice who was staring blankly at the wall. Vlad cleared his throat. The woman's brown eyes shifted to look into his own dark blue ones. He knew the woman for several months now, but he never saw her so blank; it was unsettling. "It wasn't your fault," Vlad said slowly testing to see the woman's responsiveness.

Catalina nodded barely as she dropped her gaze. She closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. The woman reopened her eyes before turning to Vlad and gave him a tense smile. "I forgive them," she said with her hoarse voice. Vlad sat a little straighter.

"You forgive the Fentons," Vlad repeated, not believing the woman; no one could forgive such a grave offense.

"Yes," the woman answered. Vlad searched her face looking for a lie, but couldn't find any. "Can I get up now?" she asked which was unsettling seeing that normally she would have already bounced to her feet.

"If you are feeling well enough," Vlad said slowly, now knowing that something was wrong with the woman. She nodded as she pushed herself into a more proper sitting position with a grimace. "Catalina, you need to rest," the man said firmly pushing the woman back down into the bed. It was obvious that the woman shouldn't be moving.

"I can go home and sleep," Catalina said not meeting his eyes.

"You can barely get out of this bed," Vlad pointed out and the woman sighed closing her eyes. She gave him a tired look.

"Can I have something to change into?" she asked pointing out her bloodstain clothing. Green and red splotches decorated her once pink blouse.

"I'll see what I can find," Vlad mentioned. People could say a lot of negative things about the billionaire, but Vlad was a good host. He went to one of the guest rooms and into the closest. He had clothing for Maddie if for any reason the woman would visit. He supposed that his apprentice could use it. He pulled out a set of pajamas and returned to the woman.

Catalina looked at the outfit in his hands raising an eyebrow in question. "I'm prepared for anything," Vlad said as a means of explanation to the unanswered question.

"For Maddie?" Catalina asked a strange look passing over her eyes. "Fruitloop," she said with a little fondness in the tone. "Thank you." Vlad handed the clothing to the woman and left to give the woman some privacy. He let the fruitloop comment slide this one time; perhaps because it wasn't in the gruff tone that the teen used it.

The door opened after a couple of moments. The woman had her arms crossed protectively around her waist. The violet pajamas were slightly too large for the woman which wasn't surprising considering that the woman was more petite than Maddie. "Thank you, for saving me," she whispered, "I didn't think you would. Why did you?" She looked down to her feet.

Vlad frowned at her words; he didn't even think twice about coming to the woman's aide. "I believe you know the answer that. You and I are friends are we not?" he asked the words spilling before he could think of the consequences of the meaning behind them, feeling a little proud at throwing the woman's words back at her.

The woman looked at the man before a wide smile formed on her face. "We are," she said and the normal Catalina seemed to break through. "But even then thank you," she wrapped her arms around his waist making his stomach to flip oddly. A smile tugged at his lips before he put his arms around her shoulders.

DP~DP~DP

Terra watched the timestream in horror and regret. She saw the implosion as the family of ghost hunters tried to escape the blast radius. Clockwork was silent beside her; he seemed to be deep in thought. The only movement was their shifts in form. "So that's his game," Clockwork said frowning slightly.

"Game? The child is going to be an orphan. This fight between you two is cruel," Terra shouted her voice echoing in the clock tower.

The time master looked at the female ghost almost sympathetically. "Time is often cruel. But rest assure it will all end well. Time does heal all wounds," the time ghost said his form shifted into his elderly form. "Terra?" He looked at her like he needed her to understand.

Terra looked at the time ghost. "I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry Clockwork," she said, "I'm done with you two." The seasonal ghost floated backwards retreating from the clocktower.

She knew that the Ancients had a tendency to think of only of themselves and often forgot that their actions affected all the creatures of the Timestream. Terra, herself, wasn't immune to this. Perhaps the best thing for her to do is to retreat to her tree and let Xaoc and Clockwork continue their fight.

Speaking of the parasitic ghost, Terra wondered when the ghost would complete his side of their bargain.

DP~DP~DP

Danny sat in the hard plastic chair in the hospital waiting area. Sam had a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he couldn't feel it. Everything seemed unreal; the young halfa couldn't believe that FentonWorks exploded. It was like a dream or a nightmare. "Hey Danny, don't worry. The doctors are doing everything they can," Sam said trying to comfort the stunned halfa.

"Yea, man. We have some really good doctors here," Tucker added from the other side of Danny. "I'm sure your parents and Jazz will be fine." The teen nodded hearing them, but still feeling worry eat at his insides.

"Excuse me, Daniel?" a soft female voice said. Danny looked up at the woman with bright blonde hair and kind blue eyes. "My name is Savannah Forsberg. I'm going to be helping you during this difficult time. Do you have any family nearby that could be here as well?" she asked.

Danny shook his head; his closest relative lived in Arkansas. "My Aunt lives in a cabin in Arkansas. I don't think she'll be able to come up here," Danny admitted suddenly feeling all alone as he realized that he only had his parents and sister.

The woman gave a small smile, "Well, you have two very good friends who can be here. I ensure you the doctors are doing everything in their power to help your family." Danny felt a little spark of hope at the woman's words.

DP~DP~DP

Catalina laid on her back looking at the ceiling to the room that Vlad let her borrow. She was tired; bone tired. Even though she was exhausted, she couldn't fall asleep. Every time she would close her eyes, she would see the silver glint of a scalpel. She clutched the sheets in her hands. She told Vlad that she had forgiven the Fentons; it was one of the best lies she ever told.

Catalina wanted to forgive them, truly. Madde meant so much to Vlad and both Fentons meant the world to Danny, but the female halfa couldn't get past the inhumane treatment she received from both. But if she could forgive them, perhaps Vlad could forgive Jack, perhaps he could forget Maddie. She shook her head. It didn't matter either way; she was never going to see the ghost hunters and the older halfa would never see her as anything but an apprentice.

"Catalina, may I come in?" Vlad's voice came from the other side of the door. It was amazing how his voice could comfort her; it made her feel safe.

"Yes, go ahead," Catalina said so the man could hear her. The billionaire walked into the room carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of soup.

"I imagine you are hungry," he stated.

Catalina shrugged; she didn't really had time to think about eating. The last thing on her mind was eating, but her stomach growled loudly. "I guess I am," she admitted sheepishly feeling a little embarrassed by the loud protest from her stomach. She reached out for the spoon and started to eat.

It was amazing what warm soup could do. She smiled softly to herself as she started to feel more human; the warmth almost helped her forget what happened the night before. Almost, but not completely. There was something nagging on her subconscious, but she didn't want to voice it. "Either you're thinking very hard or I have to fire my cook," Vlad said with a smirk.

"Oh, yea," Catalina said smartly. She took a deep breath and decided to ask the question that had been in the back of her mind since she woke up. "Vlad," she started. She took a deep breath, "how did you meet Skulker?" She mentally facepalmed at her cowardice.

The man gave her a strange look. "Didn't think it was a troubling matter to you," Vlad commented.

"He wanted my pelt the first time we met. He is troubling," Catalina responded with a lie. The hunting ghost hadn't bothered her since that first day at least without provocation.

"He wouldn't chase you around so much if you didn't provoke him," Vlad stated matter-of-factly. "I already know your excuse: it's just so fun to make him mad." Catalina chuckled a little before nodding that he was right. "Back to your question. We met at my first Christmas Truce party."

"Did he want your pelt?" Catalina asked thinking back to the constant remarks she got from the hunter.

"Yes, Skulker hasn't changed much since I met him. "

"I don't understand how blue can match anything in his house," Catalina thought out loud her previous question now forgotten.

"I never understood that as well. But he couldn't attack me that day. I, however, did attack him," Vlad answered.

"Did you get into trouble with the other ghosts there? They seem to take their truce very seriously."

Vlad shook his head, "I just feigned ignorance and they didn't do anything but explain the truce." Catalina giggled at the mental image of Vlad playing dumb which was very amusing. "I believe it's my turn to ask a question." Catalina shrugged and waited for the man to ask his question. "If you could do anything, what would you do? Money isn't an issue."

"I would open a bakery. I would spend every day making sweets and decorating cakes. It would be amazing. I wouldn't work a day of my life because I would love what I do. Oh, sorry. I didn't mean that I don't like working with you. I do like my job, but you know…"

"I understand perfectly well," Vlad interrupted.

"Master Vladimir," the butler's voice came through the door the same time red steam left Catalina's mouth. "I have a call for you from a Danny Fenton. Would you like to take it?"

Vlad looked at the door, "Yes, I'll take that call." Catalina could tell that Vlad was suspicious of something. She watched as the ghostly butler floated through the door handing Vlad a cordless phone. "Daniel, I wasn't expecting your call," he started slowly.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. Thank you, Babygirlz and Red Rose Cat adding this fic to your favorites. Hey guys, I'm really sorry for the lateness in this chapter. I really worked this chapter and I'm not so sure if I'm satisfied with it. Anyways, I have been very busy lately and will soon be leaving for a mission trip that will take over a year. I'll try to write another chapter before I leave and will definitely return to this fic when I come back, but reviews will be very helpful to make both of these happen.

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Danny didn't want to believe the words the doctor was saying. How could he? His father was so full of life, Danny couldn't see the man lifeless. The teen ignored the apologies that the doctor gave as he turned away from the thing that wasn't his father. Jazz was next; her internal bleeding was too much for the doctors to handle. She flat-lined soon after Jack. Once again meaningless apologies were given. The teen had shouted at the doctor and the nurses before being escorted out of the room. "Mr. Fenton, your mother is awake now."

Danny got to his feet slowly. On one hand, Danny was devastated by the Jazz and his father's death, but on the other hand grateful that his mother was still with him. The teen walked to his mother's room; his footsteps heavy.

The teen step cautiously into the room. Danny had always saw his mother as the strong one; hunting ghosts and baking cookies. But Maddie didn't look like the famous ghost hunter or the capable mother. Bandages were wrapped her arms and an empty spot were her left leg should have been. Danny tried to avoid looking at the injuries. He instead focused on his mother's face beneath the gauze. Maddie looked at Danny with teary eyes. Danny set his eyes downward not wanting his mother to see him cry. "Come here, sweetie," the woman said. Danny step toward the woman and she reached out to hold his hands. "It's going to be alright, dear. We'll be fine."

"What happened?" Danny asked his voice small.

"The portal exploded. I..Your father must have forgotten to change the filter," Maddie concluded sadly. "It was an accident."

"No it wasn't," Danny mumbled to himself clenching his fist. It came to him suddenly; this was what Vlad wanted. The billionaire could get everything he wanted; his mother and himself. The younger halfa's sorrow took the back seat as fury took its place. He clenched his fists fully intending to speak to the older halfa.

"Mr. Fenton, let's give your mother some time to rest," a kind nurse said putting her hand on his shoulder. Danny gave his mother a quick hug and walked out of the hospital room. He stomped out of the hospital and dialed Vlad's house number which he added after the reunion.

The line rang and Danny prepared himself for the man to answer. He was slightly shocked when another voice answered, but he was directed to Vlad. "I didn't expect to get your call, Daniel," the calm voice of Danny's arch enemy came through the line.

"I hope you're happy," Danny said with such spite it was almost like poison. "How could you, you creep?"

"Daniel, I ensure you whatever you are complaining about now, I had no part in it."

"My Dad is dead and you expect me to believe that you had nothing to do with it?" Danny shouted tears that he held back were now streaming down his face.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad heard the last statement but couldn't believe it; Jack, the man responsible for ruining his life was dead. The billionaire became silent looking at the wall as he listened to the grieving teen shout about the portal explosion and Jazz. He had expected to be jumping with joy at the news of Jack's demise, but instead all he felt was emptiness. "Vlad, what's wrong?" Catalina's soft voice asked. She had sat up and put one hand on his. Vlad looked up at the woman whose brown eyes held both pain, but also concern for him. It was touching, Vlad admitted, that he was first in someone's mind.

"Jack is dead," Vlad answered simply, "the Fenton's portal exploded."

"Oh, That's good news isn't it?" the woman asked unsure. Her tone matched Vlad's own conflicting emotions. "Well, not for Danny. He lost his dad…and you lost a friend," she said adding the last part softly barely within Vlad's hearing.

"Jack isn't-wasn't my friend," Vlad said harshly.

"I'm sorry. How's Madeline? Was she in the house as well? How about Danny's sister?" Catalina asked, her concern clearly escalating. It was a little shocking considering that Maddie had just tried to dissect her the night before.

"Jazz passed on as well. Maddie had to have one of her legs amputated, but is expected to make a full recovery," Vlad answered remember some of Danny's rant.

"Then what are you doing here?" Catalina asked pushing herself shakenly to her feet. "We need to check on Danny… and Maddie of course." Vlad steadied her as she tipped. "He must be so heart-broken," she said sadly.

"He seems more resentful than anything. He called to blame me for the explosion," Vlad said, "the foolish child blames me for just about everything that goes wrong."

"And you're totally innocent of any of his accusations," the woman answered sarcastically.

"For the most part," Vlad answered with a smirk.

DP~DP~DP

Catalina was grateful for this distraction. She could ignore the soreness in her body, ignore the flashbacks of her vivisection. She had insisted on going with Vlad to visit Danny and Madeline. It wasn't that she wanted to see the female ghost hunter, but she wanted to comfort the teen. She knew what the teen was going through and knew that he needed someone there for him.

"Catalina, are you sure you want to see Maddie? You are still healing from last night," Vlad asked looking up from his seat in his limo. Catalina shifted under his gaze careful not to reopen any wounds.

"I said I forgave her. It's rather tragic what happened to her and I'm not heartless," Catalina lied. While she knew that she should be sympathetic to the woman, she couldn't find it in her heart to feel remorseful for the accident; she could, however, feel heartbroken for Danny. "Besides knowing you, you'll say something that will push Maddie and Danny further from you."

"Impossible, I am very charming," Vlad said turning his gaze back to his book. Catalina smirked at the title 'Romance for Rich Creepy Dimwits' and briefly wondered what possessed the man to buy it.

Catalina quickly shifted seats so she was beside the billionaire; she felt an uncomfortable tug at her injuries. "You want a helpful hint? I wouldn't trust anything in that book," she said as she tried to read over his shoulder.

"And of course you know about romance," Vlad said closing the book.

"I know what women want to hear," Catalina answered. The billionaire gave her a disbelieving look. "I'm a woman too, Vlad…I feel a little insulted… Come on, I'll tell you what to say. I won't steer you wrong. You want Maddie to be your wife, don't you?" She blathered quickly. Catalina wanted to scream; why was she helping him try to win Maddie's heart? She knew the answer; she wanted him to be happy or maybe to show him that the woman would never love him.

The man's dark blue eyes narrowed. "I guess you do have more insight into the female's mind," Vlad said putting the book down. Catalina debated whether to grab the book from him.

Catalina sighed and leaned back in her seat. The limo stopped in front of the hospital and the two halfas exited the vehicle. The woman followed Vlad's even steps to the building. The doors slid open and Catalina froze.

The plain white walls and smell of antiseptics were replaced with metal walls and the smell of warm ectoplasm in her eyes. Catalina could feel her breath catch as her heartrate increased; the ghost hunters were going to get her, they were going to tear her apart and put whatever was left in jars in their lab. They were going to perform all sorts of experiments on her and test their weapons on her. The woman could feel herself start to shake. "Catalina," Vlad's voice called as a hand clasped her shoulder.

The woman jumped at the touch before jolting back to the present. "I'm okay. I was just trying to remember if I left the stove on at my house," the woman lied as she tried to calm herself down; it wasn't the best lie, but hopefully it was enough. The billionaire clearly didn't believe the fib. "Let's just go find Danny," she said slipping from the man's touch. She could feel the man's gaze on her back, but she didn't acknowledge it.

The man walked past her to the front desk. After a quick chat with the receptionist, the pair were at Maddie's door. Catalina looked down the hall for any witnesses before turning invisible. "Okay, first things first. Don't start flirting off the bat. She just lost her husband; the last thing she wants is someone hitting on her. She needs a shoulder to cry on," Catalina whispered unseen.

Vlad didn't respond but opened the door slowly. "My dear Maddie, I came as soon as I heard of your accident," the man greeted as he walked to the hospital bed.

The woman's auburn hair was in disarray and her violet eyes were tired. Seeing her like this, made Catalina why she was even scared of her, but this didn't stop her from hiding behind the billionaire. "Vlad, thank you for coming by," the female ghost hunter said with a sad smile.

"Of course, I came to see you," Vlad said his voice in what he must have thought was a sultry voice. Catalina put a hand on his arm.

"Tone it down," she teased, "You're going to scare her." Her voice was barely a whisper, but she knew he had heard it. "Ask her about her family."

"How are Jack, Daniel, and Jazz doing?" the billionaire asked taking the woman's advice.

Maddie looked at her hands sadly. "Jack and Jazz didn't make it." The woman's shoulders shook as tears formed in her eyes.

"That's sad to hear. Jack was such a good friend," Vlad lied, "I can't imagine the pain you are going through. "He leaned closer to the woman and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. Catalina tried to be happy that the man was getting closer to the woman, but all she could do was not to strangle the woman. She turned away and tried to calm her anger.

"But I don't think the explosion was an accident," Maddie's voice caught Catalina's attention.

"How so? The filter was overwhelmed," Vlad tried to reason. Catalina floated closer to Vlad to listen to what the woman was saying.

"That's the problem. The filter should still be functioning properly according to my calculations," Maddie said.

"What would cause the explosion?" Catalina asked softly. Vlad asked a similar question at the same time.

"Ghosts. The night before the explosion, Jack and I captured a ghost. We were dissecting it when its mate showed up and released it," Maddie explained. Catalina could feel her face starting to burn in a blush.

"Mate?" both Catalina and Vlad said simultaneously.

Maddie nodded, "I'm sure he came back and sabotaged the portal as revenge." Vlad frowned at the comment.

"Perhaps you're being a little paranoid. Jack probably forgot to change the filter," Vlad said harshly. Catalina cleared her throat warning the older halfa that he was treading on thin ice and shouldn't be insulting the woman's recently deceased husband.

Maddie shook her head, "Danny changed it last month; I'm sure that's not it. It was those ectoplasmic scum. Once I get out of here, I'll make them regret leaving Wisconsin." The woman's voice turned dark making Catalina fear the female ghost hunter. She must have made some sort of noise because Vlad spared her a quick glance.

"Maddie," Vlad said putting a hand on Maddie; Catalina held back a snarl of jealousy and distain. "The two ghosts aren't important; what's important is that you heal."

The two were interrupted by the door opening revealing a nurse. "Sir, visiting hours are over."

"Thank you for coming to see me, Vlad," Maddie said with a small smile.

"It was my pleasure," Vlad responded that sultry voice creeping back. He walked past Catalina who floated past the doorway turning visible again in the empty hallway.

Catalina avoided eye contact with Vlad. "Maddie seemed glad to see you," the woman said breaking the silence.

Vlad was grinning, "You say that like you don't believe it. I am quite the catch."

Catalina chuckled, "Yes, most eligible bachelor here." The woman flinched as the laughter pulled at her still healing injuries.

"What are you two doing here?" an angry voice snarled. Catalina turned to face a very angry Danny.

"Daniel, I am here to give my condolences," Vlad answered, "Your parents and I were old college buddies after all."

"This is all your fault, Fruitloop," Danny shouted.

"Danny, Vlad had nothing to do with this," Catalina said softly stepping closer to the teen whose eyes were red and puffy.

"Why are you with him? Why are you defending him? He's nothing but a crazed up fruitloop and murderer?" Danny rose his voice even louder.

"Catalina is my apprentice," Vlad answered quickly, "And one shouldn't falsely accuse another without evidence." Danny looked at Catalina questioningly.

"He's your mentor?" the teen asked the look on his face spoke of his betrayal as much as the tone in his voice.

"Yes. Danny, he is," Catalina said.

"He's evil. Why are you helping him?" Danny asked his fist clenching.

"You're a naïve child, Daniel. The world isn't as black and white as you like to pretend it is," Vlad said in a chiding tone.

"Your petty differences aren't important now. What's important is how you are feeling. I know that it's very hard to lose a parent. And I just want to offer Vlad's and mine condolences," Catalina said hoping to end any confrontation before it began.

"Not that Jack was much of a father," Vlad mumbled which was pointless considering that both Danny and Catalina had heightened hearing. Catalina sighed knowing that Vlad and Danny had a long way to go before they could even speak with each other civilly.

Determining that the two were likely to start a physical confrontation, Catalina took a sharp breath. "I think I should have taken your advice, Vlad. I feel a little light-headed," the woman said softly swaying on her feet for good measure. She immediately felt Vlad put his on her shoulders steading her. She smiled to herself before making a sheepish face. "We're very sorry," Catalina apologized once again.

Danny narrowed his eyes at Vlad; no doubt he was thinking that the eldest halfa got exactly what he wanted. Vlad led Catalina away and the woman leaned further toward him wishing she could always stay this close, but knowing that Maddie would take her place. It was bittersweet, but she could take it; she was used to not being wanted.

DP~DP~DP

Eris floated beside her master who had a pleased look on his face. They floated above the hospital as the two older halfas walked out. The false Recorder knew that her master was keeping both of their ecto-signatures nigh undetectable, so the two halfas didn't even look up. "You seem very pleased with this outcome. Even though I failed to destroy the female ghost hunter," Eris said softly regretting that she had failed the ancient ghost.

"This outcome may be exactly what was needed," the dark ghost sagely said. "The young halfa will still have that consuming guilt."

"Which leads to him separating his human half and his ghost half."

"And the female halfa won't go anywhere near him because his vengeful mother. She won't be able to talk down Dan," the older ghost finished. "I will have my perfect host and nothing to stop me."

Eris knew that her master could be overconfident, but she also knew that the halfas were at a critical point either they banded together or they tore themselves apart.

DP~DP~DP

"Come Vlad, let's go this way," Catalina said seemingly being able to regain her strength which told the man that the act was just that, an act. He wasn't amused but he relented after all the retreat was able to cut Danny's rant short.

"Where are you going?" Vlad asked as the female halfa tugged at his arm. He allowed her to pull him a little.

"The morgue," Catalina answered in a nonchalant manner as if she suggested a nearby café. The older halfa wondered briefly what the woman's intentions were. "When my parent's murderers were tried, I had to be there to see them convicted and later executed," the woman said unexpectantly trying to explain. "It just made it more real… It was like a chapter of my life ended and I could finally start anew," the woman added softly. She kept her brown eyes away from his gaze.

Vlad knew what the woman was trying to say. "I don't need to see a disgusting corpse of a buffoon done in by his own idiocy." He stopped his movement which caused Catalina to stumble backwards. She had caught herself before falling.

The woman turned around and gave him a huff. "It'll make you feel better. And what if Jack came back as a ghost," the woman said reaching for some sort of reason to follow through with her plan. Vlad didn't see her reasoning.

"Catalina, go back to Wisconsin and take care of the office. I'll be there soon," Vlad ordered before slipping through the woman's grasp. There was one thing the woman exceled at and it was trying his patience.

"Fine, I'll just overshadow Jack and bring him to see you," the woman said with a devious smile.

Vlad looked at the woman trying to determine if this was a bluff. "You wouldn't do something so ghastly," he said confidently. She grinned wider. Her eyes flashed a brilliant red before she turned on her heel and started running down the hall. Vlad cursed her under his breath before hurrying his pace to catch her.

The woman looked over her shoulder once before running intangible through the door. Vlad looked for witnesses before following after the reckless woman. "Catalina," Vlad started his tone angry. He looked around the empty morgue. He stepped in angrily searching for his apprentice. "Catalina show yourself," he said harshly searching for her ecto-signature. He traced her to an outstretched metal bed. She became visible again as he caught sight of the large body of Jack Fenton. The halfa stood behind the corpse looking away; she looked slightly pale arms wrapped around her waist. Both remained quiet as Vlad glared at the unmoving body of Jack.

The sight of the ghost hunter laying so still and peaceful caused a strange reaction in the older halfa. Anger burned through his veins; Jack had cheated him of his revenge. After taking years of his life and the love of his life, the buffoon managed to steal that from him as well and injure Maddie all at the same time. Vlad tried to find joy in the fact that the man was definitely dead, but there was none. He wanted to shout at his former friend for what he had done to him. "Empty," Catalina's voice broke into the older halfa's thoughts.

"Excuse me?" Vlad asked forgetting that the woman was there. He looked up, but the woman wasn't even facing the elder halfa. She had turned away from both Jack and Vlad.

"That's what I felt after my parent's murderers were executed," she continued. "It didn't even matter; what they took couldn't be replaced. I was still an orphan and ward of the state. Their deaths, my revenge, was all for nothing." She became silent before chuckling and smiling which was unsettling considering that the two were standing in a crypt. "So, how are you feeling? Is this moment all you thought it to be?" she asked looking up at him.

"I'm feeling absolutely fine. And yes this is exactly what I wanted," Vlad said not feeling the emotions behind those words, but he was far too stubborn to admit it. The woman's brown eyes looked to his blue ones before she smiled.

"Then I suppose I should get back to the office. Don't worry about a thing; I'll keep everything under control," Catalina said with a smile. "Be nice to Maddie and Danny. I'll see you in a week's time." The woman walked past Vlad leaving the older halfa alone.

Vlad looked back at Jack he narrowed his eyes. As much as he hated to admitted, this turn of events wasn't what he wanted.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Hi everyone as you might be able to tell my hiatus was cancelled. If you like the full story, you can ask, but I won't divulge it here. Anyways, Thanks karisay for all the reviews and for adding this fic to your favorites. Your reviews really motivated me to continue this fic.

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Catalina sighed as she leaned back in her office chair. She hated the chill that seemed to cling to her and the soreness that didn't seem to fade. "Hey Cat," Amelia's voice called causing the female halfa to jump putting her hands up as if to protect herself. The sudden fear of dissection coursing through her blood as her heartrate increased dramatically. "Woah, chill, Cat," the blonde said with a chuckle. Catalina lowered her hands slowly realizing that it was just her friend, but still feeling on edge.

"Well, don't sneak up on me," Catalina said crossing her arms a little upset that she reacted so obviously.

"You sure have been jumpy lately," Amelia stated her blue eyes concerned, "Is everything okay?"

Catalina sighed knowing that she couldn't explain to her coworker that she was subject to a vivisection without the aide of painkillers. "I haven't been jumpy and everything is fine. I never been better," Catalina said trying to organize the papers she had scattered and avoid looking at the woman who was trying to figure out what was wrong.

Amelia put her hands on her hips. "You know what you need?"

"No, what do I need?" Catalina asked spinning her chair so she face the other woman.

"A nice drink. We can hit up some of the bars after work," Amelia suggested.

Catalina frowned. "How's your boyfriend?" Catalina asked trying to distract the other woman by changing the subject.

"Why do you think I need a drink?" Amelia said her smile slipping off her face. Catalina sighed.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Catalina said, "Sure I'll go with you. You're going to need a designated driver anyways."

The blonde smiled, "Thanks, I knew that I could count on you. I'll meet you in front of the office at six."

"Wouldn't miss it. We'll paint the town red," Catalina said with a wink. The blonde waved goodbye and walked away. Catalina pulled her sweater tighter feeling a little chilly.

DP~DP~DP~

Vlad sat beside Maddie as she spoke about what she found inside the ghost she dissected. The billionaire ignored the death glare that Danny was giving him from the other side of the hospital bed. "You should have seen it Vlad. The specimen had what appeared to be human organs. Jack and I took so many samples," the woman said before suddenly becoming silent when she said Jack's name as if she remembered that the man was no longer alive. A quick glance to Danny revealed that the younger halfa was also feeling the lost of the male ghosthunter.

"When is the funeral?" Vlad asked.

Maddie looked at him violet eyes sad. "It's the day after tomorrow. I have a lot to prepare before then."

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance," Vlad offered.

"We don't need your help," Danny answered. Vlad glared at the teen quickly before looking back at Maddie.

"Danny, Vlad is just trying to be helpful," Maddie scolded Danny before adding to Vlad, " Thank you for your offer. I can definitely use some help."

Vlad listened to the list of tasks that Maddie needed accomplished before leaving with Danny. He hadn't want to bring the teen but Maddie had insisted that the teen left the hospital. The teen was huffing next to him which Vlad supposed was better than the look of loss that would creep on the younger halfa's face. The two were walking toward whatever was left of FentonWorks to gather anything that remained of the families belongings.

Vlad looked at the ruins of FentonWorks. Most of the walls were blown off and whatever remained looked as though the faintest breeze could knock it down. Danny led the way as he carefully stepped around brick and shattered glass. Vlad watched as the teen looked through the broken belongings. Danny picked up a tattered teddy bear and large tears slipped down his face. Vlad suddenly feeling like he was intruding turned away from the grieving teen to search the lab.

The billionaire could feel the vestigial ecto-energy from whatever caused the explosion. He narrowed his dark blue eyes; he didn't recognize who the energy signature belonged to. A telephone ring broke the reverent silence. Vlad pulled out his phone ending the offensive noise. "Hi Vlad," Catalina's chipper voice came through the phone.

"Catalina, perhaps now it's not the best time," Vlad replied when he noticed the annoyed look Danny shot his way.

"Oh sorry, are you with Danny?" Catalina asked, "Tell him I said hi and I hope he is doing better. Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that Skulker is here. So I was talking with him and I was being civil. You would be so proud." Vlad just smiled as he listened to his apprentice chatted about Skulker and the office. He continued to look through the broken experiments that he Fentons were working on before finally finding the camcorder that Maddie had told him about. He was banged up but otherwise seemed functional much to Vlad's surprised. "Vlad? Did you hear me?" Catalina asked drawing Vlad's attention back to what she was saying.

"No, I missed that," Vlad said honestly.

"I just said that Skulker knows where Timus is hiding out and I figured that I could go with Skulker and show him what happens when someone crosses Plasmius," Catalina said and Vlad could almost see the smirk on her face.

"Catalina," Vlad said to break through the woman's excited chatter. "I have a password on my portal so you won't be able to use it." The woman was silent for a couple of seconds.

"Fine, I guess I'll wait for you to come back. And don't worry about the office when you watch the news. It was a controlled explosion. K, Bye," the woman said before the billionaire could react to her. Vlad exhaled through his teeth before shutting his phone hoping that the woman was joking. Deciding to avoid thinking about it, Vlad continued to sort through the remains of FentonWorks.

DP~DP~DP

Catalina laughed at the story Amelia said before taking a sip of water. Her friend clearly had too much to drink and was becoming more and more uncontrollable. Catalina didn't mind the embarrassing antics seeing that they distracted her. In the corner of her eye she saw someone sat down at the barstool next to her. Catalina couldn't help but be drawn to him and she wondered why she was scooting close to him. It was a moment before she reached out to him that she realized that it was because the man was miserable. She drew away as if she had been burned. Catalina looked down at her drink, feeling colder and more alienated than she had before. It was a chilling reminder that she wasn't human anymore. Maddie's words came back to her, _Ghosts don't feel pain. Ghost aren't human. They're nothing but left over emotion clinging to ecto-plasm. No rights for a ghost._ Catalina gripped the glass in her hand tightly as she begun to shake from the odd chill in her core or her brief flashback she didn't know. She glanced once at the clearly drunk man and bit her lip. Surely he wouldn't even know what happened to himself if she borrowed his misery and it would calm her nerves. She knew it would. Catalina shook her head and asked the bartender for something strong. Amelia encouraged with a whoop, but Catalina didn't hear as she downed the concoction. The alcohol burned but there wasn't any dulling of the nerves or senses.

Catalina looked back at the man who slumped over his drink. She could practically smell the misery on him and it was intriguing. She leaned forward to the man, "Rough day?"

He looked at her from head to toe a little suspicious, but alcohol had a way of dulling the senses. "Yes, I just found out that my wife has been cheating on me and my son isn't my real son." Catalina looked down at her drink. Could she really do this to the man? "And then I lost my job."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Catalina said trying to distance herself but the man dropped his head on her shoulder. The halfa stiffened at the contact, but the man's misery was already wafting toward her. Like it did once before, it soothed the chill in her bones and even her encounter with the ghosthunters seemed like ages ago. She pushed the man away before getting to her feet.

"It's time to go, Amelia," she said to her friend pulling her friend away from another man.

"But we were just getting to know each other," the blonde complained as she pouted, but Catalina's halfa strength was enough to drag her away.

DP~DP~DP~DP

Vlad sank into the couch in his hotel room and flipped on the television. He knew that Catalina was more than likely pulling his leg about the explosion, but he couldn't be sure. He waited for the weather forecast before a reporter came on the screen. He listened to the story intently as it spoke of his business. It seemed that Catalina had been busy. Vlad stared at the screen at disbelief; how did the woman manage to convince the board of directors of Kiwik, another large business, to settle for such a small amount. Vlad had been trying for months to convince them to sell. Vlad smiled as the news story before calling the woman. "Hello, Vlad. How's it going?" the woman's voice said it's chipper tone had a tense edge to it.

"I just watched the news," Vlad started and he heard the woman giggle on the other side of the phone. "Has Alma been busy?" he asked hoping the woman was picking up that he was asking if she had used her ghost half.

"No, but some of Kiwik's management has been. Let's just say when they were faced with court or Vladco, they picked Vladco," the woman said. Vlad could practically could see that mischievous smile. The woman then begun to spill the beans of the various misdeeds of the other businessmen and women. Vlad had to admit he was impressed with the woman. While she was saying this a loud beeping sounded in the background. "Sorry about that. My oven is going out and it's complaining to me. I better let you go; it's getting rather late and I need to see what's wrong with my oven ," she said with a frustrated sigh.

"Of course, I'll be hearing from you soon," the billionaire responded.

"Yup, and maybe I can talk to Danny as well." Vlad seriously doubted that the teen would speak with her, but he ended the call. He thought back to the frustration in the woman's voice and frowned. Perhaps he could do something for her to repay the woman for the advantageous business deal she performed; it would also prevent him from raising her pay. With that in mind, Vlad opened his laptop and started to shop.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Hello everyone sorry for the late update. I'll like to thank SOCH14. LegendLover94, and Uriel7 for favoriting this fic. I will also like to thank for following/favoriting both this fic and me. And of course, I am really grateful to all of the people still reading this fic.

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Catalina walked into her home tossing her purse on the couch before plopping down herself. She sat staring at the blank television. She didn't know how much time passed before her doorbell rang. The female got up cautiously and creeped to the door. Catalina opened the door to see a delivery man at her door with a box nearly as large as her.

"Catalina," the man asked.

"Delivery for you. I was also told to help you install it," the man explained. Catalina backed away from the door to let the man in. The worker got to work removing her oven.

"Hey, that's mine," the woman said smacking the man's hands away from her precious stove.

"I know, ma'am. I'm here to replace it," the worker said.

"Replace it? No, nononono, I love this oven. Sure he has been a little temperamental lately, but I still love him." The woman put her arms around the appliance.

The man gave her a strange look before opening the box he brought in. Catalina's arms dropped as she saw the brand new sterling silver oven. It was absolutely perfect with its dual convection ovens and smooth ceramic top. "I take it back; I love this new one," Catalina said stepping away from her old oven. The surprise made up for how uncomfortable she had been feeling lately.

"That's it. Can I have you sign this?" the man asked holding out a clipboard. Catalina signed her name before her eyes caught the name 'Vlad Masters' which caused her to smile.

"Thank you so much," she said to the man as he left. Her cell phone rang as she closed the door behind the man. She didn't even have to look at the caller id.

"Good evening, Cata-,"

"I love it," the woman squealed as she clenched her phone all the excitement that she tried to contain in front of the delivery man was unleashed. "It's absolutely beautiful and perfect and amazing. And I love it. I'm so happy. I could kiss you..I mean uh, I was talking to the oven. I should come up with a name for it," Catalina blabbed trailing off in thought. She could hear a chuckle from the other side of the phone. "Oliver," she said loudly.

"How about Owen? It's closer," Vlad suggested.

"You are absolutely brilliant," the woman responded.

"Did you ever doubt it?"

"Not for a minute."

DP~DP~DP

Danny stood silently staring at the two wooden boxes surrounded by flowers. He would have thought that after a couple of days he would have realize that his sister and father were dead, but even now staring at their coffins, it still felt like a dream. The teen lowered his head as tears slipped from his face. He only raised it when Vlad came up to speak. Danny knew that his mother had asked the billionaire to speak because he was the closest thing to a friend that his father had. The teen halfa watched as the older halfa gave a generic speech about how Jack would be missed and what a good man he was.

The speech would have been convincing if Danny had not known that the older halfa hated his father. The teen ignored Vlad as he slipped some subtle barbs. Once finished, the billionaire walked back to his seat which –much to Danny's distain- was next to Maddie. The next person to get up was one of Jazz's teachers.

The woman spoke about what a good student Jazz was and of her lost potential. Danny looked at his hands that rested in his hands. Although he and Jazz didn't always get along, he missed her a lot. The teen wiped the tears from his eyes as the ceremony ended. Danny and his mother got up and followed the caskets to the hearse.

Danny clenched his hands into fists as the two caskets were lowered into the ground. He sent a glare toward Vlad who had a hand on his mother's shoulder. The teen knew now that the older had nothing to with the lab accident but that didn't mean the older man could take advantage of the situation.

The funeral ended too soon and most of the guests left as quickly as they could leaving only the remaining Fentons and Vlad. "Thank you for your help Vlad," Maddie said softly.

"It's the least I could do for my old friend," the older halfa lied. Danny scoffed turning his head away. He stomped to his friends and away from the older halfa.

"Danny," Sam greeted softly putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. The teen halfa gave a small smile to the goth girl.

"We're here for you dude," Tucker added also putting a hand on the other shoulder. Danny nodded slowly; as long as he had his friends he could make it through anything.

"Danny," Maddie called out and Danny turned to the two adults who interrupted the conversation. "Vlad so graciously offered us a place to say till we can get our own place," the woman continued. The teen halfa could feel his world falling apart.

DP~DP~DP~

Catalina dragged her feet to her desk dropping a little dramatically into her seat lowering her head to the keyboard. She couldn't sleep at all the previous nights; at most a couple hours before waking up due to nightmares. The woman wrapped her arms tightly around herself. "I understand how you feel," a male voice said causing Catalina to look up. "I simply can't function without a cup of coffee in the morning," Nathan continued.

The woman tilted her head confused. "I don't drink coffee," she answered, "I'm a morning person, normally."

"That's good since one of coffee machines is on the fritz," Nathan continued. The man leaned on her desk. Catalina sprung up to sit upright as she sensed the small amount of misery that emitted from the man caused by lack of caffeine. Nathan continued speaking about some club he wanted to go to and was wondering if she would like to come with him. Catalina ignored this as she debated whether or not to consume the misery. On one hand, it would give her a spring in her step and the man wasn't truly miserable so he wouldn't be that harmed. With more thought, the woman couldn't think of a downside.

"You know who would love to go?" Catalina asked jumping up to grab the man's forearms. Nathan grinned stupidly at her. "Amelia, she just was talking about that club the other day," the woman lied grinning as she could feel the excess energy drive away the chill. Her response must have hurt the man because he was a bit more miserable than a lack of coffee.

"I was really hoping to go with you," the man said breaking contact with the woman. Catalina flinched trying to come up with a way to get out of the situation.

The phone on her desk began to ring much to Catalina's relief. "I got to take this call, sorry," the woman said picking the phone off its hook. "Hello, Vladimir Masters's office, Catalina speaking."

"Good morning Catalina," Vlad's voice came from the other side.

"Good morning, Vla- Mr. Masters," Catalina said changing to a more formal way of speaking when she realized she was in the office. "How may I help you?"

"I just wanted to inform you that I'll be back by this evening. I expect that everything in the office is as I left it," the man continued.

"Of course, why would I do otherwise?" the woman asked.

"Very amusing. Be sure that all my appointments for tomorrow are set," Vlad continued.

"I'll be sure that everyone knows that you'll be able to make it," Catalina responded. The man said a quick farewell before the call ended.

…

The woman knocked on the mansion door waiting for the butler to open. A red stream of steam passed her lips before the door creaked open as a short green ghostly figure answered the door. "Good afternoon, Jarvis," the woman greeted cheerfully.

"Good afternoon, Miss Catalina, Master Vlad isn't in at the moment," the butler continued.

"I know. I was thinking we could throw a surprise welcome home party for him," the woman said with a smile. The butler stepped aside to let the woman in.

"I will not be held responsible for his reaction," the ghost said stepping aside.

"Yea, don't worry. It'll be fun. All of you are invited," Catalina said as the motioned to the house to indicate all of the house help. The woman bounced to the kitchen to check on the chief. "Wolfgang, I'm going to use your kitchen," she called out waiting for the response.

"Absolutely not," a large blue ghost shouted horrified as he appeared from thin air. The ghost's white chef hat floated just above his head of green hair. "You insist on using my kitchen to bake your sorry excuse for cuisine."

"They're pastries Master Chef and they're delicious," Catalina said just to egg him on while she pulled out a bowl.

"And you single handedly destroy the order I created in this little spot of paradise," the chef continued.

Catalina sighed dramatically, "I suppose so. I just wanted to surprise Vlad with some cupcakes. He's been gone for so long and he would like something as a pick-me-up…"

"If I let you use the kitchen will you stop talking?" the chef asked.

"Yup," the woman responded. The chef sighed but moved to allow woman access to the kitchen. While she toiled away at her creation, Wolfgang followed behind cleaning whatever mess she made. She could hear him grumbling as she slid the cupcake tray into the oven.

"Are you happy now?" the chef asked crossing his arms.

"You bet I am," the woman replied, "I'm going to get the other house help so we can make this a real party."

"They're far too busy to follow with this scheme," the chef said as he finished washing the dish in front of him. "After slacking off the past couple of days, they have to catch up with their chores."

"Must be nice only having to cook when Vlad needs you," Catalina said to herself, "rather than a daily job.

"I take my job very seriously; I spend every moment finding new exotic recipes for Master Vlad to try and I perfect them all."

Catalina chuckled to herself as she pulled out the tray of freshly baked cupcakes. She ignored the other ghosts boasting. "Aren't they beautiful?"

"You want the truth," the chef asked. "They look-"

"Fabulous," Vlad interrupted as he walked into the kitchen. "I thought you banned Catalina from the kitchen, Wolfgang?"

"She insisted," the chef grumbled, "Excuse me." The ghost disappeared leaving the two alone.

"You ruined the surprise," Catalina said with a pout. "I was going to throw a welcome home party for you."

The man nodded, "That's very kind of you."

"Well, I figured you wouldn't like to come home to empty house. So cupcakes." The woman motioned to the still cooling cupcakes.

"You didn't use the oven I got you," the man stated.

"Of course I did, but I planned to be here anyways so yeah," the woman shrugged.

"I just thought with your little spill yesterday that you were very enthusiastic to use it," the man shrugged, "I was rather surprised that your affection could be bought so easily."

"Affection?" the woman asked before remembering her 'kiss' comment. Catalina could feel her face turning red. "It was a slip of the tongue," the woman said as the man clearly was enjoying her discomfort.

"Well, that's disappointing. I thought you were true to your word." The man picked up one of the unfrosted cupcakes and took a bite. Catalina narrowed her eyes before rolling to her toes to press a quick kiss on the taller halfa's cheek before reason could set in.

"Ha. How's that for keeping my word?" the woman said proudly before trying to make a rapid escape through the door before she fainted from embarrassment. When the door opened, Catalina froze with the door knob in her hand. Standing in the dining room with suitcase in hand was Madeline Fenton.

Catalina could feel her breath catch and her palms started to sweat. "Maddie, I believe you met my assistant, Catalina."

"Catalina, this is my old college friend Maddie and her son, Daniel," Vlad said from behind as he nudged the woman forward. "They will be staying with me till they get back on their feet," the man explained.

The woman swallowed the fear unsuccessfully. "I'm so sorry for your loss. Vlad spoke so much about Jack and his old college days. I wish I got to know him," she lied her voice wavering slightly. She caught Danny rolling his eyes at the comment.

"Thank you for your kind words," the female ghost hunter said her violet eyes downcast. Though this normally would be unthreatening, Catalina couldn't see those eyes filled with anything but malice and indifference.

"I should be going. Uh, Abigail wanted me to meet up with her to help her paint her …kitchen," Catalina lied as she backed away from the widow and her son.

"I'll walk you out," Vlad spoke up following Catalina to the front door of the castle. "You may pick any of the bedrooms in the castle," he added to Danny and Maddie. The door closed behind the two halfas when the older one spoke up. "Is something bothering you?"

Catalina chuckled awkwardly, "no, of course not. I just have to help Amelia." She forced a smile.

The man crossed his arms across his chest. "The truth, Catalina," the man said firmly. "I doubt that Amelia would like her kitchen this late at night."

Catalina took a deep breath before figuring out another fib. "Okay, that wasn't true, but do you really want me as a third wheel as you try to woo Madeline? Of course not, so I'm giving you space. And before I forget, there is a cream cheese frosting in the fridge for the cupcakes."

"The one I ate was enjoyable without the frosting," Vlad noted and Catalina could feel her core warm in pride; the other halfa hardly ever complimented her baking. The woman lowered her face so her burning cheeks could hide in the shadows. "We'll continue training at your house. Maddie would get suspicious if you keep visiting."

Catalina's shoulders slumped, "Yeah. It would pretty weird. Well, you're welcome anytime. Even if you just need someone to talk to." With a quick goodbye, the two halfas went their separate ways.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Hello everyone, I bring you another chapter. Thank you for your continued support. I will like to give you a special thank you to ShadowSymbols for following and favoriting this fic and myself and another special thanks to LoloLovesAnime for following this this fic. R&R

* * *

Danny dropped his bags on the floor of the room he picked out. It was simple, as simple as any room in Vlad's mansion was. The walls were a blue-gray color with shining laminate floor. The large bed matched the rug underneath it. The teen halfa dropped himself onto his bed not feeling like unpacking his bags. He stared at the ceiling.

His cellphone binged and Danny sat up to look at the offending object. The teen opened it to see a message from Sam. "Call me," was the simple message. Danny debated whether he should call the goth. Danny dialed the number he knew so well.

"Danny, I'm glad you called," Sam greeted. "How's Vlad's place? Has he tried to make you his apprentice yet?"

"No, he didn't even mention it on the flight over here. He barely flirted with my mom," Danny answered.

"That's definitely strange," Sam said, " you should keep a close eye on him."

"How's Amity? Has there been any ghost attacks since I was gone?" Danny asked, though he knew the answer.

"No," Sam answered, " Everything is okay. Not even the Box Ghost." That's what Danny expected; there hadn't been an attack since the portal exploded. "Tucker and I were just about to play Doom, so I was calling to tell you to get on." Sam was trying to cheer him up, but Danny wasn't in the mood to play the online game with his friends.

"I was actually going to look around here some, so I don't get lost when going to dinner," Danny answered.

"Okay, but you better go on tomorrow. It's not good to be alone," Sam chided.

"Sure, that sounds good," Danny said before saying goodbye to his friend. The teen ended the call before flopping on the bed. He looked up at the ceiling before deciding that he should keep an eye on his mom to protect her from Vlad.

He pushed himself up from the bed and out of the room. He treaded down the hall going to the bedroom that he knew his mother had picked out. He knocked twice but didn't get a response. Figuring she wasn't in, he continue to wander hoping to bump into her and not Vlad.

"Daniel, I was hoping to speak with you," the billionaire's voice came from one of the rooms the teen just passed.

Danny immediately felt all the sadness from before turn to anger. He knew that the other halfas had nothing to do with the accident that happened, but he still didn't like the pleased look that appeared on Vlad's face. The teen turned sharply to glare at the older halfa. "What do you want, Plasmius?" Danny asked.

"Such animosity, Daniel. I just said that I had wished to speak with you," the billionaire chided.

"Let me guess you want me to be your evil son/apprentice. And the answer is no fruitloop," Danny responded getting into a fighting stance.

"Really, Daniel. Jumping to conclusions. Not that expected much from an impulsive teen like you," Vlad mocked clicking his tongue.

"That's it Plasmius," Danny shouted before turning to Phantom and flying straight into Vlad.

The billionaire turned intangible before Danny flew right through him. "Daniel, now if you are to be my apprentice, the first thing you need to learn is to keep calm during altercations. It will eventually get you into trouble," the man said smugly.

"And your creepiness is going to catch up with you," Danny replied smartly crossing his arms as he floated in front of the billionaire. Vlad didn't say anything more but smirked knowingly.

Danny tossed an ecto-blast at the older halfa. Vlad barely moved and the attacked hit him straight in the shoulder. The billionaire was knocked back while Danny floated a little shocked that he managed to hit the older halfa.

"Freeze, ectoplasmic scum," his mother's voice hissed. Danny listened (and not just because it was his mother). Danny could hear the buzz of the ecto-gun. "Vlad, are you alright?" the female ghost hunter asked.

Vlad made an exaggerated expression of pain before getting slowly to his feet. "I'll survive," Vlad said with a groan.

Danny started to panic. If his mom caught him, he would wound up on a table like Catalina. Without thinking, Danny turning intangible and flew up through the ceiling and out of the castle. He felt the heat of the blast from the gun as it pass harmlessly by.

The teen flew as fast as he could toward the wooded area at the edge of Vlad's property. He slowed his speed when he noticed that he was no longer in any danger of being shot at. He rolled onto his back so he could look at the stars. He smiled as a feeling of calm overcame him.

He continued to float through the air before the sound of splintering wood broke the silence. Danny spun to face the noise to see bright blue lights. The teen halfa's curiosity was peaked. The white-haired halfa flew cautiously toward the lights prepared just in case it was a ghost.

The lights grew brighter until Danny saw what was causing them. Catalina floated in ghost form shooting blue-ectoblasts into trees all while grumbling something under her breath. The teen debated whether to say anything or to retreat quietly. Unfortunately, the woman happened to look over her shoulder and Danny cursed his luck. "Hey, Danny, you nearly gave me a heart attack," the woman said putting a hand on her chest to emphasize her point.

" I was just leaving," Danny said grumpy still upset about the woman lying to him.

"What's wrong? Besides both your dad and sister being dead and having to stay at your arch-enemy's house while he flirts with your mom," Catalina asked floating closer to Danny.

"Thanks, that was very helpful," Danny said sarcasm evident on his voice.

"Sorry," Catalina said actually looking like she meant it, "Not just for what I said. I probably should have told you about Plasmius, but you never asked. Why can't you both be friends or at least not hate each other?"

Danny crossed his arms across his chest. "How would you like for some random man to flirt with your mom?" he asked angrily.

"Both my mother and father are dead, Danny," the woman said matter-of –factly.

Danny flinched guiltily. The teen's anger dissipated. The woman apologized and Danny could forgive her; afterall, how could she know the feud between Vlad and himself. "How about this. Just give him a chance. Don't attack or antagonize him just for a week; I'm sure that you can be on good terms," Catalina suggested.

"And if I don't change my mind?" Danny asked stubbornly, still not believing Vlad and he could be on good terms.

Catalina shrugged, " What do you want?" Danny looked at the woman before thinking.

"You drop your apprenticeship with Vlad," Danny said, "you won't help him with any of his schemes."

The woman looked a little surprised dropping a couple of inches in altitude. "Deal," Catalina said her confident smile was back.

"What about you?" Danny asked, " What do you want in the impossible chance that you are right?"

"Nothing. Seeing my two favorite people no longer fighting and arguing will be the best thing in the world," the woman said with a hopeful smile.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Hey everyone long time no see. I hope you are doing well. Thank you Tigre-chan, Paws-chan65, and Ariastella for following this fic. Also a thank you to readitandmeep for following and favoriting this story. Also thank you for my mysterious guest reviewer. I hope all of my readers somewhat like this chapter.

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Vlad walked into the skyscraper not bothering to look at its massive height . He crossed the lobby quickly and entered the elevator. Once the doors closed he tugged at his suit to make sure his appearance was impeccable. He wasn't sure what he was going to say to Catalina. The billionaire put a hand to the cheek that the woman kissed. He knew that the woman was impulsive, but he didn't think she would actually follow through with what he suggested.

The billionaire shook it off; the woman more than likely forgot about it. The elevator doors opened and Vlad exited he passed several of his employees who looked a little upset; their shoulders were slumped and they barely acknowledged him. Vlad found this odd considering that the office normally was full of conversations. The billionaire continued his path to his office.

"Good Morning, Mr. Masters," Catalina greeted cheerfully. Vlad turned to face the woman who was smiling at him which was a deep contrast to everyone else in the office. The billionaire found himself smiling back.

"Good Morning, Catalina," Vlad greeted focusing on the woman's brown eyes and not on the way she looked in her red dress. Red looked really nice on her, in his opinion. "What happened when I was gone?" Vlad asked discretely pointing to an accountant as he passed by.

The woman looked a little shocked and her gaze darted nervously before settling back on him. Vlad noted the odd behavior to be examined later. "The coffee machine broke. You know how this office runs on coffee," the woman said with a slight chuckle. "Everyone acts like a zombie without it. I never drink the stuff. It tastes really bitter and in order to make it taste good people added a lot of cream and sugar. What's the point of a drink if you can't drink it plain?" Vlad stood patiently as the woman rambled. She paused for a moment before looking embarrassed, "I started rambling again. I'm sorry."

Vlad chuckled amused at the sheepish expression. "What's on the calendar today?" The woman perked up again.

DP~DP~DP

Danny walked around the large mansion. He found himself expecting Jazz around the corner or Jack bumbling with some experiment, but there was not a sound in the large mansion. "No wonder Vlad is so crazy," Danny mumbled to himself breaking the silence. He would look for his mother, but she was in a lab that Vlad set up for her designing some sort of ghost-hunting device.

Danny trudged down the hall before his ghost sense went off. The teenage halfa prepared himself for a fight. A ghostly woman floated through the wall in front of him carrying a pile of folded towels. Her black maid outfit caught Danny's attention. The maid caught his gaze before giving a small bow. "Master Daniel, I apologize for intruding," the ghost said.

"Uh, that's fine. And it's just Danny," the halfa said relaxing.

"Alright, just Danny," the ghost said giving Danny a wink with one of her orange eyes. "Master Vlad will be back soon for dinner. I suggest that you make your way to the dining hall." The maid started to float away.

Danny watched the ghost floated away a little concerned that the maid was in the same house as a ghost hunter. Deciding that the maid was okay, Danny tried to remember where the dining hall was. The teen wasn't looking forward to see Vlad. Danny walked through the halls before stopping at the large set of wooden doors that were the last barrier between him and the older halfa.

The teen's stomach growled reminding him that he couldn't just stay out. With a sigh, Danny entered the dining room. The large and gaudy dining table was empty. Danny could feel himself relax a little as he took a seat and waited for a servant to come by.

Danny had a moment of peace before the door swung open. The teen sent the newcomer a frown. "Daniel, you have decided to join us today," the billionaire said with a smug smile.

"Don't get used to it Plasmius," Danny huffed roughly. Vlad smirked as he took his seat. The two sat in silence as a couple of servants came out with two platters. Danny remained silent keeping his eyes on the food-filled plate. The teen curled his lip in disgust at the strange concoction in front of him. Although everything he has eaten at the mansion was delicious, it still looked weird.

"Daniel, please don't pick at your food," Vlad said frustrated.

Danny narrowed his eyes before remembering his deal with Catalina. "Yes, Vlad," he said his tone equally frustrated. The billionaire gave the teen an incredulous look which Danny found amusing. Vlad's poker face returned quickly and he returned to his own meal. "So how was your day?" Danny asked hoping to throw the man off again (and his deal was still at the back of his mind).

Once again the man looked at Danny grew another head before returning to his neutral expression. "I was fortunate enough to finalize a business deal. I won't bore you with the details; it's not like you can understand them."

Danny fumed at the jab at his intelligence. He clenched his jaw trying to keep from continuing the argument. The man looked a little suspicious of the teen. "I assume that you had a good day here," Vlad continued obviously a little surprised not to get a rise out of the teen.

Danny shrugged, "It's boring here." He picked at his food taking another bite.

"Then you haven't seen the castle at all. It appears that I have to give you the tour," Vlad said in a disappointed tone.

"No thanks, Plasmius. I don't need your tour. We're going to be out of here soon and you can go back to your lonely man life," Danny said smugly.

Vlad narrowed his eyes, "How dare-" The man stopped his angry expression becoming a smile. "Maddie, dear, I was afraid that I'll have to send up your meal to the lab…again."

Danny turned in his chair to face his mother. The woman was clearly tired and the bags under her eyes proved it. "Hi mom," Danny greeted but also didn't get a response at the woman sat down muttering to herself.

Danny looked up at Vlad and the two made brief eye contact. Danny could see the older man's concern as much as the older halfa could see his. The teen didn't like the thought that the two could have anything in common. The two watched the woman eat her food in silence.

"Daniel was just telling me about his day. How was yours, my dear?" Vlad asked. Danny held back his gag reflex at the nickname.

"Good," the woman said tensely narrowing her gaze at her meal. She grinned, "I think I got something to catch those ectoplasm scums." Danny swallowed roughly not liking the tone in his mother's voice. He had a mental flashback to finding Catalina strapped to the lab table. Danny had to hand it to Vlad, he didn't react at all to the ghost- huntress's statement.

"And what would this new invention be?" Vlad asked pushing his now empty plate away from himself.

Maddie seemed to perk up a little at the billionaire's interest. "I call it the Boo-merang. It is able to detect a specific ghost's ecto-signature and track it." Danny didn't like the sound of that; how would his mom react when she realized that her device was leading them to the three halfas.

"Perhaps we should have a demonstration after dinner," Vlad suggested.

"I can get it now," the woman said getting to her feet. On one hand Danny was happy to see that his mother still had her spunk, but on the other hand her excitement was due to her hunting which always made him a little anxious. The two halfas gave a brief look to each other before following the ghost huntress. The two entered the lab as the woman turned to them a silver boomerang. "I have it set to the Wisconsin Wraith's ecto-signature," the blue-clad woman said.

"The Wisconsin Wraith?" Danny asked not recognizing that particular name.

"That's what I decided to call the ghost that we caught," Maddie answered her voice becoming small before she pushed a button determined. The boomerang's red LED flashed green before making an almost chipper bleep. It spun in the air and started to fly out of the lab. "It's working," Maddie said as she hurried after it.

Danny followed after his mother. The ghost huntress was already out the front door of the castle and in the old used car that she was currently using. Danny watched as the vehicle pealed out of the driveway. "I called Catalina. She didn't answer," Vlad said making Danny jump a little. He put his phone in his pocket frustrated.

"I'm going to go warn her," Danny said turning to Phantom.

"I'll try to slow her down," Vlad said and Danny was met with Plasmius. The two halfas took off from the ground and jetted to town.

Danny didn't say anything to the older halfa as the two flew to town hoping to catch Maddie before Maddie caught Catalina. Vlad grabbed Danny's arm. "What's the big idea?" Danny shouted.

"I hear screams," Vlad stated pointing to a bar. Danny tried to listen but couldn't hear what the other halfa was hearing. He grumbled to himself as he realize it was another ability that the older halfa had and he didn't The teen didn't have much time to be upset because the vampric ghost flew down into the alley changing into Masters to enter the bar. Deciding it was best that he wasn't in ghost form, Danny did likewise.

When he entered the bar was in chaos. The patrons were cowering along the walls staring wide-eyed at the spectacle at the center of the room. Danny froze as he caught sight of his mother. She had Catalina pinned to the ground a large ghost gun to her head.

"The game's up ghost." Maddie growled.

"Madeline, that's just Catalina. You met her. She's not a ghost," Vlad said putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Quiet, Vlad," the woman shouted as the gun hummed to life shrugging the man's hand off of her.

"Ma-Madeline," Catalina stuttered, "I'm not a ghost." Danny could hear the terror in her voice; the hero in him was telling him to intervene but he didn't know how. Everyone seemed frozen. "It's your fault," the pinned woman whispered quickly. Danny paused not knowing what the woman meant. Madeline also stopped for a moment. The gun in her hand still humming lowly. "The same obsession that drove you to attack me caused their deaths," Catalina continued gaining a little confidence in her voice as Madeline begun to slump.

Danny watched at Catalina grinned, fangs glistening. From this angle, the woman looked inhuman. "I almost pity you. The only man who could truly love you… and your daughter, your pride. Both gone in an instant. Imagine if you were a normal, _sane_ scientist, they would be alive. Your work would be recognized," Catalina said her soft tone was striking a resemblance to another ghost Danny knew which caused him to shudder. With a swift movement, Catalina pushed Maddie off her; the ghost huntress slammed into the bar hard. Danny flinched at the noise and instinctually ran to her side. He knelt beside his mother looking up at Catalina. The two made eye contact for a moment.

The female halfa's eyes flashed a dangerous red before Vlad put both hands on her shoulders. The billionaire was speaking to her. Danny could see the woman respond sharply before pushing away from the white-haired man. She only gave a glare in his direction before stomping her way out of the bar. The other patrons backed away as she passed by.

Vlad didn't talk to Maddie he gave the briefest of glances to their direction before also leaving the bar.

DP~DP~DP

Eris watched this unfolding from her spot above the clouds. She grinned as she thought about how please her master would be; the older halfas finally having their falling out. It all occurred as he predicted. Now they could move on to their next step.

…

Terra and Clockwork looked at the present with equal frowns. "It appears that this would be more difficult than I thought," Clockwork noted. Terra only spared the time ghost a glance feeling guilty for her part in this.

"What will happen now?" Terra asked the other ghost. Clockwork changed from a young adult to and elderly one.

"Look, Terra," Clockwork noted pointing at the timestream. Terra looked feeling herself shift from her red autumn look to her white winter. In the portal was Pariah wrecking havoc on what appeared to be a human city. People were running and were silently screaming. The female ghost could feel her stomach drop as it finally hit her; that wasn't the Pariah she knew. "He's a lot different than when we gave him the throne eons ago," Clockwork stated.

"What were Xoac and I thinking," Terra asked. She lowered her head, " You were right."

"That wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would have been," Clockwork said with a sigh. Terra frowned at his flippant tone.

"This is serious, Clockwork," Terra rose her voice.

"It is, isn't it," Clockwork said, "and it just got better." Terra looked at the portal to see what the ghost was talking about. A ghost with fiery white hair and a black and white hazmat joined in the destruction.

"How did Dan Phantom get there?" Terra asked watching at the situation got worse.

"You weren't paying attention, were you?" Clockwork asked. Terra huffed knowing she was distracted by her thoughts. "I don't feel inclined to inform you," Clockwork said irritating Terra more.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Terra asked.

"Nothing," Clockwork responded, "I trust the halfas. After all, diamonds are made with pressure and heat. They will come together and be stronger than ever."

DP~DP~DP~

The billionaire couldn't shake the image from his mind. The pleading look that Catalina tossed his way or the clear determination on Maddie's. He had thought Maddie was the same person from college, but seeing her at the bar, threatening Catalina showed a side that Vlad didn't think the woman had. It didn't take much to imagine what could have happened, what might happen if Maddie caught Vlad or Danny. That's why he was speeding to the place that he had grown to know. Vlad finally caught up to Catalina at her home. He floated in as he normally did to find the woman sitting on her couch as if she was waiting for him. "I'm sorry for losing my temper," she said before giving him a forced smile. "I got a little carried away, but you know how adrenaline works. You might want to check on Maddie," the woman said before getting to her feet. A glance toward her bedroom told Vlad where she intended to go to.

Vlad frowned at the woman; he didn't know where it came from but he could see right through her lie. "I'm more concerned about how you are feeling," the billionaire answered a little surprised at the honesty in his voice.

Catalina must have heard it as well because she stopped her retreat. "Thank you, but I'm fine," she said her voice cracking at the last word. Her eyes widen as she realized the crack in her wall. She put a hand to her mouth as sobs began to shake her body. Vlad could keep his cool in most situations, but he had no idea how to react to the crying woman. A part of him wanted to run and not witness as the woman's façade crumbled, but a much larger one wanted to make her stop to make the smiling Catalina come back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I can control myself," she said tears still streaming down her face. "I'll be okay. I'll be fine," she said through her stifled sobs.

Vlad hated seeing the woman like this, so ...broken. He stepped closer to her and pulled her close; though he didn't care for physical contact, Catalina clearly did. "You're safe now," he said softly hoping to calm the raking sobs. He could feel her curl closer to him.

"She'll just find me again," Catalina murmured into his shirt, still sniffling. Vlad put a hand on her head to keep her close.

"And she won't lay a hand on you," Vlad reassured running his fingers through her dark locks.

"Can you promise me that?" she asked pushing back so she could look at him in his eyes, but her hands still clung to him. "She knows where I work. She can just find me again. What if you're not there when she does?" the fear reappeared on her face.

Vlad sighed grabbing at one of her wrists pulling her to the nearby bathroom. "What are doing?" Catalina asked her earlier tone lost in confusion which in Vlad's opinion was better than seeing her cry. He pushed her in front of him so she could look into the mirror. "I'm confused," Catalina said looking at his reflection waiting for an explanation.

Vlad grinned before turning to his ghost form and coaxing the ghost form from the woman as well. She gasped in surprised before giving him an irritated look. "You could have just asked me to change," Catalina deadpanned.

"Catalina, focused. Look in the mirror," Vlad commanded. The woman's red eyes returned to her reflection.

"I see myself," Catalina said clearly not impressed. "Vlad, I don't get what you're trying to get to."

"You were wondering what to do if Maddie caught you. You have the power to stop her. You do what you have to. You're a halfa, the strongest race that is known. Don't let anyone let you forget that," Vlad said before grinning a fanged smile.

Catalina physically relaxed a little. "I guess that makes sense," the woman admitted.

"It isn't too late; we can train for a bit if you are up to it," Vlad suggested; as long as it could get the woman away from tears, he would do anything.

Catalina seemed to think about it for a minute, " Nah, I have a better idea."

…

Vlad instantly regretted saying yes as a large snowball collided with his head soaking his hair, but Catalina's laughter made up for it.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Hi everyone. I'm still alive. I have been really discouraged lately and it took a lot to write this chapter. Now I didn't say this to get you to feel sorry or review (though reviews are nice), but just to explain why it took me so long. I hope that my muse stays with me a little longer. Thank you UnknownMystery579 for favoriting and darkelf1996 for following.

-Sonozaki Shion- Aww, I'm glad you think it is cute I'll keep up writing.

-karisay- Yup, Vlad did chose to go with Cat. Could this be a turning point in their relationship or do I have some mean tricks up my sleeve? ;) We'll just have to see. And as far as Maddie just stick with me.

-Ariastella- I already replied to your response so I'll just say this. Thanks for discussing with me. It was very helpful.

* * *

Danny stood by his mother as she got to her feet. She put a hand on her back as her face twisted in pain. "Mom, are you okay?" Danny asked feeling his heart twisting in worry.

"I'm fine. She's pretty strong for a small woman," Maddie said to herself. Danny hoped that she would let it drop, but the teen knew his mom.

The wailing of sirens covered Maddie's mumbling. Danny looked up even more worried as the two officers in uniform burst through the door. "Put the gun down," one of the officers order pointing his gun at Maddie.

The woman looked shocked but did as she was ordered to. The ecto-gun touching the ground seem loud in the tense silence. "Can you give my son a ride home?" Maddie asked. The officers responded that they could and before Danny could protest he was in the back of a police cruiser heading to Vlad's mansion.

The officer looked sympathetic as Danny got off of the vehicle. He asked the teen if he would be alright and Danny responded that he would be. The teen halfa walked to the door and it was opened by Vlad's butler.

Danny didn't say anything, but trudged to the sitting room and plopped himself on one of the couches.

DP~DP~DP~

Catalina was literally skipping when she went into the office. She couldn't keep the wide smile on her face. Vlad chose to follow her instead of Maddie; just the thought made her giddy. Nothing could break her mood as she worked with a smile. " What's got you so cheery today?" Amelia's voice asked.

"I'm a morning person. You know that," Catalina responded quickly.

"I know. That's what I find so irritating about you," Amelia said jokingly. "I mean you are especially chipper today."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Catalina fibbed. She waved at Vlad who returned to his office at that moment.

"I can't believe it," Amelia said before chuckling.

"What?" Catalina asked the blonde.

"You two have a relationship?" Amelia asked disbelieving. "I knew you two were close, but not that close."

Catalina gaped at the woman. "Wh-wh-what. No, Vlad and I are friends," Catalina said quickly.

"Hmm, you used his first name. So it's one-sided," Amelia said. " He's gay isn't he?"

"NO he just likes someone else," Catalina said rather loudly.

"Aww, poor Cat. I'm going to help you. You're going to ask him out for lunch," Amelia said. With her mission in mind, her blue eyes narrowed and the blonde wandered to Vlad's closed office door. Catalina got to her feet and to the door by the time Amelia had opened it.

"Can I help you?" Vlad asked the pair of women.

"Yes, Catalina wanted to ask you something," Amelia started with a wicked grin. Catalina could feel her face starting to burn. Her heart was beating out of her chest.

"What a coincidence; I was about to ask you something as well," Vlad said he flashed a brilliant smile.

"You go first," Catalina said quickly stumbling a little over her words. Amelia put her elbow into her side again.

"If you are free, I'll like you to join me for lunch," Vlad responded acting as if he didn't notice the two woman's interactions. Another elbow to the ribs made Catalina glare at her friend.

"Oh, yes, I'm free for lunch. I would enjoy going out with you," Catalina said. After a snort from Amelia, Catalina backtracked. "I mean, you know, I'll like to go eat. Go out to eat food like two people who know each other," the woman ended lamely. Amelia couldn't stifle her chuckles and Catalina could feel her face turn red.

"I understood what you meant," Vlad said looking back at his work. "Meet me in five minutes in the lobby."

"Yes, Sir," Catalina said pulling Amelia out of his office behind her.

"I say I did my job right. You might want to lose a button or two," Amelia said pointing to the top of Catalina's red button-up shirt.

"Amelia," Catalina said harshly.

The blonde shrugged, "Just trying to be helpful." With a wink, she added, "Good luck on your lunch date." She walked away leaving Catalina at her desk. The woman went down to the lobby tugging at her white bangs nervously. In the lobby, Catalina looked around to see if anyone was looking her direction. With no prying eyes, she undid a single button to expose more of her collar bone.

"Are you ready?" Vlad said causing Catalina to jump.

"How do you always sneak up on me?" she said as she put a hand on her racing heart. Vlad smirked amused but not responding. "Yes. I'm ready."

"We better head out now. We have a lot to talk about," Vlad said taking the lead as the two halfas left the office.

….

Catalina sat herself down in the seat that Vlad pulled out for her. She mumbled a thanks as he took his own seat. The ride over to the fancy restaurant wasn't productive, conversation wise. "So I bet you are wondering why I invited you out here," Vlad began.

"Yes, actually. I am," Catalina said. She didn't worry about keeping her voice down; the restaurant they were eating at gave them a private dining room.

"I wanted to speak to you about last night; what happened with Maddie," Vlad restarted.

Catalina sighed, "I was wondering when you would bring it up. Don't worry. The police called this morning and I dropped the charges."

"And I was thinking I would have to bribe you," Vlad said , "I'm glad that I could save money." He smirked.

"I don't object to a little bribe," Catalina said, "I could always change my mind." She perked up at the thought of a gift.

Vlad chuckled, "That's true. You are really good at being indecisive."

"You bet. So…"

"Your bribe is in my car," Vlad finished helpfully. "But what I have is worth more than keeping your mind from wandering." The waiters placed the food they ordered in front of them causing both to pause for a moment.

"So what do I have to do?" Catalina asked now suspicious.

"I'm glad you asked. I have four tickets to the Packers game Friday and I want you to convince Danny to come with me. You are, of course, also expected to be there," Vlad said before starting to eat his meal.

Catalina hid her grin. "You drive a hard bargain, but I think I can get Danny to see that it would be fun," said putting her finger on her lip in thought. "So what it is? What did you get for me?" Catalina said leaning forward.

"Be patient, Catalina. We still have to eat," Vlad answered.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad finished his story with a grin at the intense focus Catalina was giving him. Her brown eyes wide in wonder. "You really defeated all of those ghost by yourself?" she whispered.

"Are you doubting my abilities?" Vlad asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, never, but why didn't you just retreat. You were really out numbered," Catalina said concern clear in her voice.

"I knew my own strength. And I'm incredibly intelligent. They didn't pose a threat," Vlad said confidently.

Catalina huffed, " You should teach me to fight."

Vlad thought about it for a moment, "Come by my castle tonight and we can work out a lesson. Meet me in the garden so we don't disturb Maddie." The billionaire prepared himself for the squeal of delight that the woman did. She was always so excitable; it was endearing.

"Danny is invited as well, right?" Catalina asked .

"Of course, he is." Vlad said. "Let's get going before everyone at the office wonders where we have gone to." The billionaire led the way to his car opening the back doors to hand the woman a gift bag.

He waited as the woman pulled out the colored paper to pull out the two tickets he had bought. She was speechless for a second. "You didn't," she said in disbelief. "Phantom of the Opera on Broadway? How did you know I was saving for this?"

"You said it during one of your rambling spells."

"And you were listening?" Catalina said disbelievingly.

"Of course, I was. You don't get to where I am without listening to people," Vlad responded to the question. "There's more in the bag."

Catalina turned her attention to the bag in her hand. Careful not to drop the tickets, pulled out the only other item in the bag. She stared with her mouth agape at the elegant dress. It was mostly black with a red gradient at the bottom of the skirt. The woman ran her fingers over the beading on the dresses single sleeve. "This is beautiful. Thank you. This is nicest thing anyone has done for me."

"I think you mean it is the nicest bribe you have received," Vlad supplied helpfully.

The woman laughed, "You're right this is the nicest bribe anyone has given me." She paused for a moment after she put the dress back into the bag. She held out one ticket to Vlad. "I want you to come with me," she said waving the ticket a little for emphasis. Vlad glanced at the ticket back to Catalina's warm brown eyes.

He took the ticket slowly from her fingers. "This was intended for you and a friend."

"And you are one of my friends," Catalina responded quickly stepping away so Vlad couldn't hand it back.

"I'll be honored to attend with you," Vlad responded.

DP~DP~DP

Danny closed the front door slowly. After a long day of exploring the grounds, he had hoped that his mother would wonder where he was and come see him. However, Maddie was obsessed with finding Vlad and Catalina's ghost halves. Danny sighed and was almost grateful that Vlad had enrolled him in a local private school; at least he would get some normalcy to his life again. Danny walked into the kitchen to find something to eat.

Opening the door slowly, he looked for the ghostly chef. Not sensing him nearby, Danny entered the room. The air had a distinct spicy scent in the air. It burned the back of Danny's throat and nostrils. The burning sensation was really uncomfortable so Danny backed away from the kitchen deciding he could wait for dinner. The door closed behind him effectively cutting off the smell. The teen trudged to the foyer to go hide in his room and maybe play Doomed with his friends.

"Daniel, I was hoping to run into you. Catalina and I are meeting in the garden to work on some things. I am hoping that you will join us," Vlad said entering the house.

"What's the catch? What do I have to do to learn from the Fruitloop?" Danny asked crossing his arms.

The billionaire pinched the bridge of his nose. "There is no requirement on your part. We will be meeting in fifteen minutes. If you want to join us you can." With that the billionaire walked away leaving Danny alone.

The teen debated with himself until his curiosity got the better of him. He headed to the garden wanting to see what the two older hafas were up to.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Hi my friends. I just wanted to say thank you for reading so far. I also wanted to say something I don't say often: I love you guys. Anywho I would like to thank apoxyblues, roselisa, Vixen of Mischief, Luziefers nightmare and BellaGirl7 for following and/or favoriting this story. It means a lot to know I have support. So everyone please R&R.

* * *

Catalina turned off her computer with a smile. As she got up to leave she patted her purse which held her ticket. She couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face; everything just seemed right in the world. "You're welcome," Amelia said as a greeting as she stepped in line with the halfa. Catalina gave the other woman a playful push, rolling her eyes.

"Thank you, Amelia. You're not that bad of a wing woman," Catalina said, "even if you almost embarrassed me to death." Catalina made a fake frown putting her hands on her hips.

"You're just being over dramatic. Now you have to return the favor," Amelia said pointing to a blonde man by the water cooler. Amelia wiggled her eyebrows and Catalina stifled a giggle. Both woman turned to face each other so the man couldn't see them speaking them.

"I know just what to say," Catalina said with a evil grin. "This is Amelia she's my best friend. She's in desperate need of a man."

"Cat," Amelia complained pushing the halfa. Catalina laughed as she stumbled a little. "We should catch a movie and maybe have dinner at that new Italian place," Amelia said excited.

"Definitely. We can go now," Catalina said knowing she had promised to visit Vlad and Danny this evening. "I have plans later this evening, so I can't stay too long."

" That's fine; we haven't seen each other much. But I have some paperwork to finish before I can head out. Wait for me. We can take Brad," Amelia said talking about Cat's little red car. "It'll just take five minutes."

"Sure I'll try to pull up to the office so you don't have to walk to the parking garage," Catalina offered.

"And that's why you're my best friend. You understand my laziness," Amelia said with a laugh. "Besides the parking garage is creepy. You never know what killers are there."

"Thanks for reminding me. That's the last thing I need to think about," Catalina said putting a hand to her forehead.

"You're very welcome. I'll be in front of the office in five minutes," the blonde woman waved as she headed toward her office.

The halfa shook her head as he headed out the building an onto the sidewalk. Catalina walked to the parking garage. She entered the building, her heels making an echo through the mostly empty lot. The light of the setting sun was blocked by the structure creating deep shadows. Catalina sighed as the lights flickered above her as she briefly wondered if she could just fly to work without being caught. She mentally thanked Amelia for the thoughts of killers and rapists waiting; she immediately dismissed them because she could handle any killer with her ghost powers.

A pair of footsteps drew her attention making her jump in a panic. She turned to face a familiar woman wearing a blue hazmat suit. "Oh, Madeline. You startled me," Catalina greeted feeling an all to familiar feeling of panic. She put a hand on her heart for good measure. She could feel it beating rapidly with no indication of slowing down.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Maddie said stepping closer to Catalina, the light of the parking garage reflected oddly off her goggles. Catalina tried not to give into her instincts and running.

"If you were looking for Vlad, I think he left the office early today," she said helpfully. "Or if this is about yesterday, don't worry about it. I already forgotten what happened," Catalina said with a false smile. The last line was a lie, but she told herself that she would forgive the ghost huntress...eventually.

"I actually was looking for you," Maddie said raising alarms in Catalina's head. The halfa braced herself for whatever weapon the huntress would pull out. "I was feeling a little guilty over yesterday. I wanted to make a peace offering of a sorts," Maddie said holding out a plastic cupcake container. "I heard Vlad say something about you liking sweets, so I decided to bake this for you." The halfa felt a little guilty for not trusting the woman.

Catalina looked down at the messily frosted cupcake. She looked up at the woman who didn't seem to be lying, but it was diffucult to tell with her hood and goggles on. Catalina smiled taking the pastry from Maddie's hand. "Thank you. That's very kind of you. You don't mind if I eat it now?" Catalina said, not one to refuse a sweet and it seem rude not to eat it.

"Go right ahead," Maddie said mirth in her voice which seemed innocent enough to Catalina. The two just got off on the wrong foot and there was no need to hate the older woman for it.

With a quick motion, Catalina had opened the plastic container. She delicately pulled the cupcake out trying not to touch any of the frosting. Judging from the dark red color, it was red velvet. Catalina shrugged it wasn't her favorite, but she didn't hate the flavor. She looked back at Maddie again looking for any sign of ill will. The goggles and hood really did make it difficult for Catalina to figure out what the other woman was thinking.

After another smile to Maddie, Catalina took a big bite. Immediately, Catalina knew something was wrong; the pastry burned her tongue. Catalina want to spit it out with a scream. A quick glance at Maddie and she knew that the woman was waiting for a reaction. The taller woman was looking eagerly for a response. The female halfa swallowed the burning pastry and twisted a smile on her face despite the discomfort. "Good, but I have a dinner date. So I shouldn't spoil my dinner, right?" Catalina said with a smile which threatened to turn into a grimace as whatever concotion that Maddie gave her slid down her throat. The other woman's smile faltered as Catalina didn't react the way the ghost huntress expected. Catalina mentally fist-pumped herself as she bested the other woman.

Until her lungs seized unexpectedly causing a hacking cough. Catalina put her hand to her mouth instinctively wrapping the other around her waist. Something warm slipped through her fingers, coating them. The whirling of an ecto-gun sounded unbearably loud in front of her head. Catalina put her hands up to talk the ghost huntress down as her lungs still refuse to expand. With her hands in front of her face, Catalina could see the crimson blood and green ecto-plasm that stained them.

"Got you, ecto scum," Maddie said finger on the trigger. Catalina ducked as the other woman fired the gun. The blast hit her car, the green goop coated the windshield.

"Hey, that's my car," Catalina complained before her lungs seized again. She hacked another lung as her stomach churned. She bent over for a moment before standing straight again. "And I'm not a ghost," she said with a desperate gasp.

"Blood Blossoms don't lie," Maddie said, another shot and Catalina dove to the floor for it to fly over her head. Catalina was back on her feet grateful to the adrenaline that kept her from feeling the burning of the blood blossoms. She turned heel and ran through the parked cars. The halfa weaved through the vehicles as Maddie tried to get a clean shot. Catalina looked maniacly for a place to hide, her brown eyes darting from left to right. A blast in the square of her back knocked her off her feet and into the pavement. She barely caught herself with her hands.

Noticing how close she was to the van next to her, she came up with a plan. Catalina rolled under the car, her chest heaving. As much as she wanted to stop and rest, she knew she couldn't stay hidden for long. Taking a chance of discovery, Catalina willed herself to turn ghost. The normally bright white rings were dim as they traveled painfully up her body. The deep burning of her entrails were her reward burning like molten lava melting everything it touched.

Catalina screamed but stubbornly held onto her ghostly form. She grit her teeth as the waves of agony threatened to turn her back to human. Her clawed fingers dug into the pavement as she glared at where Maddie was approaching. Anger burned almost as hotly as the poison in her veins. She turned intangible tackling the unsuspecting Maddie.

Maddie quickly turned Catalina's attack against her rolling the halfa over her shoulder. Catalina skidded across the ground landing on all fours. "About time you dropped the act," Maddie said holding up her gun. Catalina floated upwards giving the woman a snarl, bearing her fangs. The halfa saw the huntress pull the trigger. Catalina blocked the next shot with a shield; green collided with blue casting away the shadows momentarily. Catalina used the brief pause to shot a blue ecto-blast. Maddie barely dodged behind a car rolling behind it as the blue energy created a crater where she stood moments before.

With cover, the human shot at the halfa. Catalina shifted her weight so the blast flew past her close enough to feel the warmth. Catalina grinned shooting another blue ecto-blast at Maddie's hiding spot. It hit the car burning a nice hole in it. Maddie popped her head over the cab of the car and pulled the trigger. Catalina put up a small shield to block the attack. "Is that really all you have?" Catalina asked feeling a little smug at the much more even odds. "I thought you wanted to tear me apart molecule from molecule," Catalina said shooting another blue blast at the other woman's hiding spot. Maddie rolled away behind another car.

The two women exchanged blast for blast neither hitting their mark. Catalina could feel her burning in her gut and the drain to her energy. Dodging another blast, she gasped as another round of coughs racked her body. She knelt behind a parked car to try and catch her breath. On her hands and knees, Catalina stared at the small puddle of blood and ectoplasm that she hacked up. She grit her teeth and hiss to herself.

She knew how to end this; Catalina turned invisible and intangible sinking into the floor. She flew to where she knew Maddie was holed up. Catalina soared upward to knock the ecto-gun from Maddie's grasp. The weapon skidded far away from the huntress. Catalina grinned exposing all her teeth.

She gathered energy to her hand to shoot at the unarmed woman. Maddie reached for one of the pouches on her belt. She pulled out a small cylinder that extended into a staff with a quick flick of the wrist. Maddie spun the staff to dispel the ecto-blast. Catalina frowned setting herself back on the ground. Maddie swung the staff in her direction Catalina jumped out of her reach shooting another ecto-blast which Maddie blocked again. Maddie quickly went on the offensive and it took Catalina's extra heightened senses to keep out of the way of the staff.

Catalina sighed as the lava in her gut was brought to the forefront of her mind. Maddie took this time to strike her across her stomach. The halfa stumbled to fall to her knees. Catalina looked up at the huntress from her position on the ground. The other woman's goggles reflected the light once again. Catalina grabbed Maddie's wrists as the other woman swung her staff downwards. The halfa twisted her wrists and Maddie gasped as there was an audible crack. Catalina didn't waste time. Lunging forward, Catalina sunk her fangs into the material that surrounded the other woman's throat.

Maddie's short shout was satisfying in a way that should have frightened Catalina, but all the halfa could think of is that she was safe now. The clatter of the staff was also music to the halfa's ears. Something warm slid down her lips startling the woman. _Blood_. Guilt overcame the pain, the anger, and the fear that had blinded her before. Catalina released the woman pushing her away, disgusted at herself.

She turned to fly as far away as she could wiping at the other woman's blood that seemed to be stuck to her fangs. Catalina tried to spit out the offending substance. She tried not to think about what she did, but the coppery taste on her tongue kept reminding her. Her red eyes looked forward as the light of the setting sun grew closer as she neared the end of the parking garage. She breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the open air. A warm burning push hit her square between the shoulders. The blast threw her off balance and Catalina couldn't right herself from the spinning dive.

The wind blew past her as she turned back to a human. She shut her eyes to stop the dizzying sight. Catalina tried to bring back her ghost half, but she couldn't handle the burning. She tried again, but just the formation of the rings caused her to shout out. Catalina couldn't stop her fall and the thought made her breath catch.

A pair of arms caught her. She felt like she was still hovering. Catalina opened her eyes to see her rescuer. A pair of black eyes stared back down at her. She recognized the face the eyes were set in, but not the eyes that seem to absorb all the light around them. "Timus," she snarled at the ancient ghost which was a lot less threatening now that she was in her human form.

The ghost smirked at her, "Not quite. I'll explain while I get you to a safe place."

DP~DP~DP

Danny stepped off the back step to walk into the backyard, if you could call it that. The grounds went as far as he could see before being surrounded by woods. The teen halfa walked to the hedges that lined the garden. Danny walked into the garden to see Vlad pacing. Danny would have said he looked nervous, but doubted it; the man always had everything under control. Without Danny saying a word the older halfa sensed his approach. Vlad stopped his pacing for a moment. The man glanced at Danny for a moment; he looked almost disappointed to see him. "Cat's not here yet?" Danny asked the older halfa although he knew that she was no where in sight.

"Your power of deduction will never cease to amaze me or should I say the lack of it," Vlad said with a condescending tone putting his hands behind his back. " Danny huffed at the dig.

"Maybe she's just late," Danny suggested. The teen shrugged at the very obvious answer. "Probably still at work doing whatever you asked her."

"She's never late," Vlad said as he pulled out his phone.

"There's always a first time for everything," Danny said now sensing that something wasn't right.

"I'm going to wait inside. She'll call if she is coming late," Vlad said, "You should come in as well it is getting colder."

Danny took a seat at a nearby bench. "I'll just wait out here," Danny said not willing to spend more time with the older halfa; just because they weren't fighting, it didn't mean they were friends.

"Of course," Vlad said his annoyed tone obvious. The older halfa walked away from Danny pinching his nose. The teen halfa looked up at the clouds feeling at peace. He debated whether or not to go for a flight. The idea sounded nice; he hadn't really had any need to use his ghost half. Danny decided against it because his mother should be coming home soon.

Danny gave one last look to the sky and then turned back to the mansion. He walked closed the door behind him. "What happened?" Vlad's voice said rather loudly. Danny, curious, walked toward the voice. He kept quiet so he wouldn't disturb the older halfa.

"I already told you," Maddie's frustrated voice replied as Danny walked into the room. The bloodstains on his mother's jumpsuit immediately caught his eye. "She ate the blood blossoms and she ran off. Vlad, she's overshadowed by a ghost."  
Danny froze in his spot in the doorframe as he continued to listen; there was only one person that she could be talking about. "The Wisconsin Wraith then attack me," Maddie said pointing to the tear in her jumpsuit by her throat; Danny could see that her wrists were starting to swell. Dried blood was the evidence of the attack. Danny looked between the two adults. Vlad's hands were clenched into fists while his face tried to portray indifference. Maddie looked upset as she tried to clean up the wounds at her neck. "I got a good shot in. She will be destabilized soon."

Danny froze at the word 'destabilized'. His breath caught in his throat. He wanted to ask more but the words remained unsaid. The same didn't hold true for Vlad.

"Excuse me, I have to make a call to the office," Vlad said tensely. He turned sharply almost bumping into Danny. The older halfa's eyes glowed an angry red as he walked past the teen. Danny stepped back at the energy that buzzed around the billionaire.

Danny looked back to his mother feeling partially responsible; as ridiculous as it was, the teen felt like it was his fault. The conflict between the two woman wouldn't have escalated if he had just told his family that he was half ghost. If he told them that he was a halfa, they wouldn't have dissected Catalina. The lab would probably still be standing and this last confrontation wouldn't have happen. Taking a deep breath, the teen straightened his shoulders and marched to his mother. He needed all the strength he could muster to make his confession. If he didn't, how long would it be until Vlad or even himself find themselves in his mother's crosshairs. "Mom, I need to tell you something."


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Hello my friends (if you don't mind me calling you that). How are all of you doing? I'm doing great and am looking forward to Halloween. Anywho thank you, .22 for following and favoriting this fic. And thank you to Lugiaman14 for following. R&R.

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Catalina heaved as the poisonous pastery made its reappearance. "That is absolutely disgusting," her ghost rescuerer said with displeasure. "But you can't help it if you are human." The halfa narrowed her eyes angrily. Catalina straigthen her posture over the trash can as she took deep breaths. She looked down at the glowing sick at the bottom of the can. She scrunched her nose in disgust; she didn't like vomiting but it was the only way to get rid of the blood blossoms.

She gripped the can harder as she felt herself sway. She closed her eyes as she tried to regain her balance. "Thank you for your help but I should get going," Catalina said ignoring the previous insult. The halfa turned away from the ghost only to lose her balance. The ghost grabbed her wrist to steady her; the bones in the joint creaked. He was close to snapping her wrist under his tight fingers.

"This is a rather interesting trinket," the ghost said turning his black eyes to the bracelet around her wrist. One finger ran over the smooth black surface. His grin suggested that he was pleased. Catalina narrowed her eyes at the interest the ghost had in the device that Vlad had given her ages ago. She would have pulled her arm away if she had the strength. "I imagine that Plasmius gave this to you." He barely looked at the woman, his void like eyes were staring at her wrist.

"Let go of me," Catalina said in a low voice. She tried to sound threatening which was hard to do when she could barely stand straight.

"I don't need anyone following us," the ghost said as his hands glowed with a bright black light. Catalina shouted at the metal of the band melted onto her skin; the woman shook her hand as the material burned her. There wasn't much she could do with his hands still firmly encasing her wrist. "Come," the ghost commanded pulling her down an empty alley. Catalina was already getting frustrated with the ghost ignoring what she was saying.

Catalina struggled to keep herself upright as he dictated where the pair was going. "What do you want with me?" Catalina asked figuring it was the thing to do in this sort of situation.

The ghost looked over his shoulder. "Who said that I wanted you? You could have died in that building and I couldn't care less." His black eyes looked bored at the answer. Catalina shuddered at the ghost's cold tone; she shrunk back a little shaken. "Does that frighten you? It should. Do what I ask and I might let you live," the ghost asked a fanged smile spreading across his pale face.

Catalina looked at the garbage-filled ground before getting a more determined look on her face. She will bid her time and the ghost would regret threatening her. " In my honest opinion, I'll being doing you a favor if I just killed you," the ghost said stopping his forward movement to face her. "After that stunt you pulled, do you really think they will want you back? You nearly ripped out that woman's throat." The ghost gave a grisly grin. "You're more ghost than human."

Catalina could feel herself deflate; he wasn't wrong. She did intend to rip out Maddie's throat and she was feeding off other people's misery. Her shoulders sagged and she barely noticed when the ghost swept his hand causing a rip into the ghost zone. She wasn't a ghost, she was still human at least half. But humans don't feed on misery; Danny caught ghosts that fed on misery and even Vlad despised them. She was so engrossed in her own negative thoughts that she didn't take in her surroundings until her legs gave out and her knees crashed into a rough surface.

"Get up," the ghost commanded. Catalina looked up at the ghost's void like eyes and tried to comply. Her legs shook before she landed back on the ground. All her strength was gone; although she didn't have the burning in her gut anymore, she was entirely drained. "I said get up," the ghost repeated in a louder voice before shooting an ectoblast that knocked the woman to the ground. She didn't even mind that she landed in the middle of the trash-filled alley.

Catalina laid gasping as the ghost stepped over her head and hovered over her. "I gave you an order," he said towering over her.

Catalina narrowed her eyes before spitting in his face. The ghost's eyes grew darker and he grabbed the top of her hair. She hissed in pain as he tugged at the strands of black hair. He pulled her up to her feet without any remorse to the pain he was causing her. "I just have one task for you and you can do whatever you want after that."

"Fine," Catalina grounded out through clenched teeth, "But I need a couple of minutes to regain my strength."

"There's no need all I need you to do is open something for me," the ghost said releasing her hair and grabbing her wrist again. "It's simple enough that even you should be able to handle it," he continued condescendingly. The ghost pulled her through the portal he made into the green space of the Ghost Zone. Wherever he was going he knew exactly which way to go. He didn't even take a moment to get his bearings before leading the way.

Catalina looked anywhere but the ghost that was pulling her through the Ghost Zone. She watched as they passed purple doors and floating islands. She tried to make a note of any that stood out to her so she could retrace her steps back. "What should I call you. You know since you are not Timus?" Catalina asked looking at the gray-haired ghost.

"Xaoc," he answered not bothering to look back. His tone was so cold it chilled her blood, the name itself sounded as dark as his voice. Catalina found herself unable to do anything besides just follow after him. She didn't have the energy to fight, much less go ghost. She just looked at her tattered dress. Stains dotted the formally red material from where she made contact with the pavement.

She looked up to see where they were heading. A large red castle stood on a rocky island barely large enough to fit it. Whatever was in there was clearly something malicious. The energy radiating off the building was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck to stand. Instinctively she knew that she didn't want to go anywhere near it, but it wasn't as if she had a choice.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad ended communications with Skulker with a single order; It was simply to find his assistant. The hunter's disapproval was evident even though the halfa didn't have a chance to see much of the reaction as he shut off the connection. He stomped back to the sitting room that Maddie and Danny had remained in. He couldn't stay away too long; he did say he was just making a call.

The billionaire tried to put his poker face on, but his concern was still on his face. He pushed the door open to see Danny Phantom floating in front of Maddie. His bright neon-green eyes were looking at his mother with hope. The blue-clothed woman was leaning back on the couch, but Vlad couldn't see her expression. "Mom?" Danny asked needing to hear the woman's approval. He held his arms close to him. Vlad quietly entered the room prepared to defend the teen if the ghost huntress decided to attack.

"Danny?" she replied her own voice soft. She reached out to the ghost teen. Danny held out his own hand, his fingers brushed his mother's softly. "How is this possible?" she asked, "A-are you dead? Are you possessed? I can fix this, just give me a couple of days." She looked truly concern for her child but Vlad could only feel his own blood boiling.

"He doesn't need to be 'fixed.' He is fine the way he is," the billionaire stated his anger clearly evident. He made his way to stand beside Danny who gave him a grateful look.

"Vlad, but my son is a ghost," Maddie said pointing to Danny who looked down at the hardwood floor.

"He's half ghost," Vlad stated as Danny also said a similar comment. They looked at each other not pleased that they said the same thing. "He is the same annoying rebellious teen you had before his accident," Vlad added smirking at Danny's complaint beside him.

Maddie looked between Danny and Vlad looking conflicted. She had hunted ghost most of her adult life; she had devoted her existence to hunting them and studying them and now her son was one. "I just have one question. I need you to answer it truthfully. Are you my son?" Maddie asked her violet eyes pleading.

"Yes mom, I'm still your son. I just have these extra powers," Danny said getting closer to his mother. Maddie smiled and pulled her son into her arms. Vlad seeing this was a moment between the two turned to leave and search for his missing apprentice.

"I'm so sorry. We spent everyday trying to catch you and dissect you. We threaten to tear you apart molecule and molecule. I'm so sorry," the woman held onto her child as he changed back to his human half. Vlad continued his path to the door ."Wait, Danny are there others like you?" Vlad froze at the woman's question turning slightly so he could see the pair.

Danny's blue eyes flicked to Vlad, the question was clear: _Did you want me to tell her?_ Vlad shook his head making his eye glow red in an unsaid threat. It was one thing for Maddie to accept her son, but entirely another for her to accept him. The two halfas stared at each other as the room fell into silence. The woman filled the silence with a question, "If your ghost half was created because of the portal accident, then.." She trailed off turning around on the sofa to look at Vlad. "Vlad, are you a half ghost too?"

The billionaire knew she would piece it together; he only hoped it took her longer. He debated what to say, but he remained silent looking at Danny who looked slightly remorseful. He could always lie; it was simple enough. "I'm sorry. Is that why you haven't reached out to us until the reunion?" The woman asked.

"No, I had my reasons. And don't apologize any more at least not to me," Vlad said his tone cold toward the woman he had thought he loved.

"Your assistant! Is she a half-ghost as well?" she asked piecing together the little bits of information she had. Her face turned to one of remorse as she realized what she did. "Is she okay? She tumbled off the parking garage. And I fed her Blood Blossoms."

"I haven't heard from her. I'm going to look at her house. It would be best if you both stay here," Vlad said walking out of the room. The door slammed behind him betraying his anger. The door opened again right after him.

"Hey Vlad," Danny called the nervousness in his voice was clear as if he was trying to figure out if the older halfa would strike out at him. Vlad turned to face the younger halfa who looked a little unsure.

"I'm not angry at you," Vlad said his tone contradicting the words he was speaking.

"I just thought that if my mom knew that halfas existed that Catalina and her wouldn't need to fight," Danny said explaining his action.

The unsaid words weren't lost on Vlad. _They would have killed each other_. Vlad knew it was true the two women grew more violent in their attacks and perhaps Danny's actions saved them from destroying each other. Or he could be too late and one was already gone. That thought was a chilling one. Vlad turned to Plasmius and rolled his ankles to lift himself off the ground. "Do you think she is alright?" he asked. If the older halfa wasn't so upset he probably would have noticed that the younger halfa didn't ask this question with any malice in his tone.

"She shouldn't have destabilize," he answered before taking off. The older halfa could sense the younger halfa change forms as well and fly after him. He barely looked over his shoulder to speak with him, "You should stay with your mother."

"Or what, Plasmius? You'll blast me? Mom won't be impressed by that," Danny teased. Vlad barely looked over his shoulder to glare at the other halfa.

"Your mother isn't my concern," Vlad stated actually meaning it; he didn't want to even look at her. It brought back memories of Catalina asking if he was going to hide his ghost half from the woman. Vlad knew the only reason why Maddie accepted the halfas was because her own son was one.

Vlad landed in front of Catalina's house hearing Danny also land quietly. "Are you going to knock or just barge in?" Danny asked.

"Daniel, I'm not rude. Of course I'm going to knock. She isn't expecting me," Vlad responded. He looked at her empty driveway knowing that she would probably not answer. Nevertheless he knocked. Danny stood behind as they waited. Vlad knocking and waiting again decided he was just going to walk in. Turning intangible, he walked through the door.

"I thought you weren't rude," Danny called from the other side of the door.

Vlad rolled his eyes at the other halfas comment before responding, "She isn't here." He went back out to see Danny who looked a little nervous. "Don't give me that look," Vlad said, "I have a tracker on her. We'll just follow that."

"You're a fruit loop," Danny muttered as Vlad looked at his watch. "Do you normally track the people you work with?" Danny asked Vlad ignored this as he looked at the watch face in disbelief. Unlike every other time he looked for his assistant, the screen was blank. "That face doesn't look promising," Danny said.

"Her tracker was destroyed," Vlad commented now feeling unsure of the other halfa's survival.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Hello friends, it has been a while. Anywho I had planned to post this last weekend as a birthday present from me to you (yes my birthday was fairly recent), but my family took a trip to visit more family. But either which way, here's a new chapter. Thank you Girlbook for following, ZombiesArePeopleToo for also following, Snowfire218 for also following, and cassianaswindell123 for following and favoriting.

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Catalina glared at the ghost that wore Timus's form. "So what do you want me to do?" she asked her contempt hidden by curiosity. She looked at the large castle the two were floating in front of. She could still feel that evil presence in there, but she couldn't let that bother her now. If she showed any weakness, she wouldn't survive, escape the ghost zone, and then.. Catalina shook her head she'll figure out that later.

"Like I said, I need you to open something for me," the ghost said he held out a green key to the halfa. Catalina let it fall into her hand. Its end was a skull and sit nicely in her palm. "I want you to open the sarcophagus in that castle." He gave the woman a smirk. "Simple enough?" He asked.

Catalina looked at the key with amusement. "A skeleton key?" she asked chuckling at the pun. The ghost didn't look as amused and Catalina felt a burning pain across her face. Catalina blinked stunned putting a hand to where the ghost slapped her.

"Open the sarcophagus and come back," he ordered. Catalina narrowed her eyes but didn't speak back. "The Zone should provide you energy enough to change forms," the ghost answered.

Catalina exhaled sharply but listened to the unsaid order. She watched the dull white, almost light gray rings travel up her body. The transformation wasn't painful anymore, but the halfa could feel that she was just barely holding onto the form. She grit her teeth in frustration wanting nothing more than to sink her fangs into the ghost's throat. She barely gave the ghost a glance as she flew toward the building. She phased herself through the roof of the central keep.

The woman found the sarcophagus easily enough. She stepped up to it putting her hand on its smooth surface. She shivered at the energy coming from whatever was trapped in the black coffin. She really didn't want to open the coffin and release what was in there, but if she didn't , she'll be killed. The woman paused to look around the room to delay her order. There was a pumpkin with a sword sticking out of it, skeletons with orbs in their hands. She narrowed her eyes at what one was holding.

She floated to get a closer look. It appeared to be a ring, an important one if it was trapped inside that orb. Her eyes flicked to the coffin; important to it, she thought to herself. She smirked before slipping the key in her hand into the keyhole in the skeleton's nose. She took an unneeded breath before turning it. The orb dissolved and the ring fell into her hand.

She placed it in her pocket for safe keeping. She turned her gaze back to the coffin. She plotted her lies as she floated back up to the sarcophagus. Catalina calmed herself with a couple of deep breaths as she unlocked the imposing coffin. She floated backwards allowing the coffin to open.

Dread filled her heart as the full power of the being she released hit her. She swallowed roughly as gray boots stepped out of the sarcophagus. She looked up at the towering giant with a flaming green crown on his head of green hair. "Who dares?" the ghost king called out loudly. Catalina took a sharp breath in fear.

"That would be me, your majesty," Catalina responded curtseying making sure her eyes didn't meet his single green eye. "I only wished to pledge my allegiance to you," she continued quickly. She glanced up to watch the ghost. The giant Viking king was inspecting her as if unsure of her intentions.

"Pity maiden for your folly," the king said his voice causing the woman to back up putting her hands up in a nonthreatening manner. "to wake me from my slumber."

"W-wait. I woke you to set the Ghost Zone back on track," the woman stuttered as his large hand grabbed her. The ghost rose her so they were eye to eye. "You're the rightful ruler of the Ghost Zone and everyone needs to know that," Catalina said her words spilling out as his fingers tightened around her waist.

The ghost seemed to mull over for this for a second before setting her back on the ground. Catalina had to keep control of her panic and her urge to run. For the moment, it looked like the king wouldn't kill her. The ghost barely gave her a glance before turning his attention to the pumpkin that sat near his coffin. Pariah pulled the sword from the pumpkin.

The vegetable flew into the air and exploded. A black armored knight with purple hair appeared. "The Fright Knight Lives!" the ghost said triumphantly. Catalina turned intangible and invisible to make her escape.

She flew as fast as she could away from the castle. "Thief," a loud voice bellowed behind her. She knew that running was a bad idea, but with two high level ghosts, three if she included Xaoc, she would rather run. A green ghost shield appeared in front of her and she slammed into it face first.

"Where do you think you are going?" Xaoc's voice asked as the ghost came into view. Catalina floated away from the ghost fear causing her hands to shake. The ghost narrowed his gaze at her.

"Here you are thief," Pariah called out the Fright Knight at his side. The knight held his sword ready for his king's command.

"It was him," Catalina lied pointing to Xaoc. "I was trying to stop him. Why would I betray the rightful ruler of the ghost zone?" She narrowed her gaze at Xaoc. The halfa made another curtesy. The powerful ghost around her looked at each other. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Catalina prepared to use all her energy to fly away if need be. She was a hapless bird in a tank of sharks and all she could do is to try to keep afloat long enough for her wings to dry.

DP~DP~DP

Danny had seen Vlad mad before. It wasn't that odd of an occurrence. The billionaire would respond with cutting words and maybe an ecto-blast, but the silent intent to murder was definitely new. "Where are we going now, Vlad?" he asked the fuming halfa.

Plasmius's red eyes glared at him, "The most logical place to start our search, Daniel. The parking garage. Really Daniel, I understand that Jack was your father, but .."

"My dad is dead and you are still insulting him," Danny shouted out angry his hands glowing in green energy. "You are still a pathetic fruitloop."

"Daniel, now isn't the time for this," Vlad said turning to face the approaching parking building. Danny huffed but didn't continue as the pair phased through the top floors. The younger halfa was still silent when Vlad floated to the single red car that remained parked.

"Is that Cat's car?" Danny asked floating to the vehicle. "How much do you pay her?" he asked looking at the modest vehicle.

"Daniel," Vlad's voice gave a warning as he knelt to the ground to pick up a black purse.  
"I don't think that's your color, Plasmius," Danny joked trying to lighten the mood that seemed only to get darker.

Vlad didn't respond but tipped the purse onto the hood spilling the contents. The older halfa picked up the woman's cell phone with a frown. He tossed that to the side and gave the rest of the items in disgust. Danny was starting to worry about the billionaire as he turned his attention to the ground around the car. The man wasn't saying anything, but kept his red eyes trained to the ground. Danny followed the older halfa floating behind the other who stomped away.

"Hey fruitloop, what are you looking at?" Danny asked when the silence was finally too much.

"There's a faint trail of ectoplasm," Vlad responded. Danny looked back to where he was looking at and could he could see the faint green spots on the black pavement. The two became silent again as they followed the sparse trail. The two stopped at the edge of the parking lot. They both looked at each other not saying the quiet thought that crossed their minds. Vlad was the first to break eye contact looking down before his shoulders sagged in relief. Danny looked down as well. "She didn't hit the ground which is a good sign," Vlad stated.

"Yeah," Danny agreed smartly not wanting to think about that possibility. "Do you know where she would be now? I mean you two work together, so you have to know something."

Vlad grew serious. "She didn't leave under her own power. Catalina tends to run from trouble, but she would have come to me or something familiar." Danny watched the older halfa as he ran through possibilities through his head.

"Maybe she is just hiding for the night? Or at a friend's house?" Danny suggested. The teen only wondered for a moment why he and Vlad were acting civil for the moment. He figured it was temporary until they found Catalina.

"You may have a point Daniel. We should call it a night. It is getting late," Vlad stated before flying upward. Danny followed after the billionaire almost sure he had heard concern and worry in his voice. Danny almost laughed at the thought; Plasmius didn't care for anyone but himself.

DP~DP~DP

Eris didn't like being left out of her superior's plan, but he was releasing the Ghost King and the ghost was as unpredictable as the craziest ghosts. Eris put her hand over the black orb pendent around her neck. It was proof that he actually trusted her. The simple orb was the only thing that kept the ancient ghost from moving on and he had entrusted it to her.

The female ghost smiled to herself in pride. Once this was all over; Xaoc would set the ghost zone right. He would free it from the tyranny of Clockwork and the Observant. So while she didn't like being left out, she would gladly await him to return.

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A/N: So I really wanted to write a Halloween thing. So I came up with this extra thing.

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 _The air was cool and crisp; the trees dropping their red leaves on the ground. The large castle stood as a warm beacon on the cool night. "May I have an explanation?" the silver-haired man asked looking over his book at the person who walked into the room._  
 _The woman smiled which looked slightly unsettling with her painted face. "It's called a Halloween costume, Vladdy," she said her brown eyes amused._

 _"I understand it is Halloween, but my question is what are you supposed to be and why are you dressed up?" Vlad asked putting down his book to ask the woman. Her face painted white like a skull and her tattered white dress didn't give him enough clues to deduce what her costume was._

 _"I'm La llorona. And since I wanted to celebrate Dio de los Muetos too I decided to paint my face as well. And I dressed up because it's Halloween. You're part ghost; this should be your day," Catalina explained._

 _Vlad waited patiently through the long explanation before responding, "I never cared for Halloween."_

 _"You're no fun. You know that, right?" the woman pouted crossing her arms. Vlad smirked at the woman's dramatic pout before the doorbell sounded. "Oh good, Trick-or-treaters are here," she said her emotions doing a 180 while she spun to get the door._

 _"Trick-or- Treater?" Vlad repeated following after the sprinting woman._

 _"Don't worry. I bought the candy with my money," the woman said as she picked up a bowl full of brightly wrapped candy. At the front door she stopped spinning again to face Vlad. The older halfa stopped barely preventing a collision. "Do you want to give out candy with me?" she asked with a tilt of her head._

 _Vlad was about to say that he didn't have a single desire to do so, but he looked down into the woman's pleading brown eyes. He sighed defeated and nodded unenthusiastically._

 _"Yay, but you can't give out candy without a costume," Catalina noted. Vlad's face must have showed reluctance because the woman changed her tactics. She bit her bottom lip slightly before whispering, "If you help me hand the kids sugar, I'll be sure that you get some sugar as well."_

 _Vlad grinned at the innuendo; he pulled the woman closer to press a kiss on the top of her hair. "I'm holding you to that promise," he said as he changed into his ghost half._

 _"You're going to scare the kids," Catalina said her eyes now shocked that he was going to reveal his ghost half._

 _"Says the woman who is dressed as a ghostly woman who kidnaps children," Vlad answered smartly._

 _"Toshe," Catalina consented. Vlad chuckled as she also laughed lightly opening the door to reveal Danny._

 _"Little Badger, what are you doing here," Vlad asked at the same time Catalina said something about false alarm._

 _"Do you guys not answer your door anymore?" Danny asked crossing his arms. "Oh, and I didn't want to go to my school's Halloween Party."_

 _"Come on in," Catalina said recovering from her disappointment._

 _"I agree. It is good to see you again," Vlad said allowing the teen halfa into the castle._

 _"Wait a second, you knew that it was Danny," Catalina said realizing that the man had in fact sensed Danny a long time ago._

 _Vlad grinned at the woman who shook her head in disbelief. "I'm still holding you to your promise."_

Terra watched as the scene faded the edges becoming blury and out of focus. She sighed sadly. "Is there any timeline besides this one that ends happily for all of them?" she asked Clockwork.  
"Just because that one timeline faded into nonexistence doesn't mean all will end badly for the halfas," the time ghost answered. "I knew they would grow on you," he added giving the seasonal ghost a sly look.  
"Pft. I don't care. It's just that with all the trouble you and Xaoc are putting them through they deserve happiness," Terra said crossing her arms in front of her chest.  
"Of course, you don't care," Clockwork responded chuckling.


	27. Chapter 27

Hello my readers. Happy Early Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy this chapter; it's shorter than I would like, but I really couldn't add more. So Thank you shiftingshadows963, Ironically irrelevant, and rosarito9999 for following this story. And a random question for this chapter: Vlad calls Danny a badger and Catalina a bird; what sort of animal do you compare him to? Note: A fruitloop isn't an animal. :)

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Vlad walked into the office impatiently. He was earlier than normal, but if Catalina was coming to work today she would be at her station already. He tapped his foot impatiently as the elevator slowly climbed up. He was grateful that he told Danny to go to school; the teen would keep giving him that pitiful look. The lack of Madeline was also comforting; for the first time since he knew her, the billionaire couldn't look at her. The elevator ding signaled the doors opening.

The walked past the empty offices briskly to his own. The desk in front of the door which should have a smiling Catalina behind it was empty. Vlad stopped in front of it looking for any sign that she had returned to her desk. Her papers were disorderly covering every inch of surface. He chuckled amused that she could keep him on schedule but she was so disorganized. He looked over the scattered papers for a moment before stacking them.

Vlad looked at his watch sadly. He didn't want to believe Catalina was missing, but appears that she wasn't around. The sound of heels quickly traversing the floor. The billionaire looked up almost excited to see the woman and ready to remind her that it was rude to not answer a phone call. He sighed in disappointment as a blonde made his way to him. "Amelia," Vlad greeted his employee.

"Catalina isn't here?" she asked her blue eyes full of concern. Vlad didn't even have a chance to answer. "She's gone, Mr. Masters. I told her I was going to meet her in the parking garage, but she wasn't there. I'm going to have to file a police report."

Vlad knew bringing the authorities into the equation would cause unnecessary complications. "Amelia, Catalina didn't want this to come out, but she staying at my mansion. I had called her over. I suppose she was still tired. " Vlad let the woman fill in the rest.

As expected the woman calmed down before turning a slight pink color as her mind wondered down paths that he didn't try to follow. "So she is okay?" the woman asked slowly.

"She was last night," Vlad answered before realizing the way the woman would take it.

"Oh, okay. Well, when you see her, tell her to call me next time she decides to go home with someone to call me," Amelia said a little roughly her face portraying both anger and a pinch of doubt. The blonde stomped away and Vlad hoped that she decided against alerting the authorities. The billionaire had no doubt in his mind that he had to find the woman quickly.

He pulled out his cell phone calling one of the secretaries in the lobby to take over Catalina's job and cancel all of his meetings for the day. Determined to find his missing assistant, he returned to his car to search the streets of the city.

DP~DP~DP

Catalina looked at each ghost her red eyes not meeting theirs. She knew they didn't believe her so she did the most sensible thing and turned tail to jet away. She put a weak shield behind her as she zigzagged through the green atmosphere. Her hair stood on end as green and black energy flew passed her close enough to touch. Catalina heard the blast before she saw it. A large wave of burning red energy rushed toward her crushing her shield and sending her flying. The energy burned and she shut her eyes for a moment as she tumbled through space.

Her back collided with a solid wall with a thunk. She opened her eyes slowly cringing in pain as she looked over her shoulder for her pursuers. The female halfa blinked twice at the empty ghost zone behind her. She questioned whether Pariah's attack knocked her that far away. The sound of a door creaking open caused her to turn back.

The surface that she bumped into was what appeared like a garage door. It rose slowly to reveal a motherly looking ghost looking down on her with her solid green eyes. Catalina could see the doubt and suspicion in the ghost's eyes. "Can you let me stay here? I need a place to lay low," she asked getting to her knees slowly.

"I don't want any trouble," the woman said backing out of the doorway. Catalina narrowed her eyes at the ghost. She grit her teeth in anger; she was a good person, so why was she the one hurting?

"You're gonna want me to come in," Catalina snarled baring her fangs getting to her feet slowly. The ghost didn't look convinced. "Do you know who I am?" she asked slowly not knowing where she was going with this, but she wasn't going to remain in the open. "I'm sure you have heard of Plasmius," she continued knowing the lie she as going to spin. The ghost nodded her head slowly her eyes now starting to dart looking for the other halfa. "Yeah, I'm his mate. I imagine he wouldn't be pleased if you leave me out here," the woman threatened flashing her red eyes.

The ghost still looked unconvinced but stepped aside as Catalina limped in. The female halfa ignored the ghost's stare as she examined the ghost's lair. A mixture of a collection of cars and a old-style home could accurately describe the lair. "You can stay for ten minutes then you have to leave," the ghost said. Catalina plopped down on the couch and yawned.

She wasn't going to leave before she was good and ready; she looked up at the ghost and knew that the ghost had to go. "You died in a car crash, right?" she asked bored pointing at the cars that were parked. Sorrow began to drip off of the ghost which was absolutely delicious and invigorating to the halfa.

"That's not important," the ghost said stuttering slightly as Catalina hit the nail on the head.

"Did you kill your kids in the crash as well? Or did you leave them behind to fend for themselves?" Catalina grinned knowing one of the questions hit the mark and didn't care which it was. The misery that was in the air was definitely giving Catalina a little energy boost "Did you find them yet? Have you apologized for causing the accident?" Catalina gave the ghost a smug look as the other tried to keep a brave face. Catalina knew how to survive and nothing can stop her from doing so.

DP~DP~DP

Terra put her hands down closing the small rift in the Timeless realm. She knew that she shouldn't have interfered with the beings in the timestream, especially the halfas. She couldn't stand by and watch the female be thrashed around by the three ghosts. Opening the small rift through the timeless realm to move the halfa into another part of the Ghost Zone was a brilliant move. It was also a move that could result in the Observants punishing her like they did Xaoc years ago. Tear her consciousness from her physical form and be prevented from ever reorganizing herself. The seasonal ghost gave a thin smile. She wouldn't participate in Clockwork and Xaoc's battle. She couldn't stop them, but she could delay and play her own game. Perhaps she could keep all her pieces intact.


	28. Chapter 28

Words are like poison and those who can spin and weave their words are the most fearful sort. Catalina knew this well as she whispered horrid things to the ghost whose lair she invaded. She was spit-balling guessing about the woman's past life through hits-and-misses. Her ability to read people paying off as she found the tangents that the ghost wanted to avoid the most. After the first couple of insults, the ghost was already sagging defenseless against the woman's words. The woman reached for anything, from the state of her lair to what her still living children thought of her. She circled the ghost like a vulture taking snippets of misery.

She probably should feel slightly guilty for harming the ghost, but the woman was focused completely on becoming strong enough to keep herself alive. If she had to destroy every ghost in her way, so be it. Catalina kept her eyes trained on the ghost as she circled. The fear and pain she felt earlier faded into a sense of peace.

The ghost shuddered before she whispered, "You're right." Catalina paused as the misery she was consuming stopped. It was like the warmth in the room disappeared in an instant. "The accident was my fault...but I know my children don't hate me for it." The ghost said calmly turning to face the halfa a look of peace on her face. Catalina frowned at the lack of misery. The ghost in front of her became fuzzy, her edges fading. She gave Catalina a wistful smile. "Thank you. I can finally move on," the ghost said as she became nothing more than wisps of ecto-energy.

Catalina stared at the blank space in front of her blank. She felt some sympathy, but quickly squashed it as she settled back on the couch. Why should she feel bad? She just helped the suffering ghost to move on. She stretched before curling into it closing her eyes to rest.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad knew he couldn't keep Catalina's disappearance a secret for long, so he wasn't entirely surprised that he ended up here. He sighed frustrated as he sat in the interrogation room. He shifted uncomfortably in the hard plastic chair. "Like I said for the past hour, Catalina was at my house late, but she was gone by the time I returned from work," he barely gave the two officers a glance.

The two police officers gave him a disbelieving look. "Are you saying that you were the last person to see her?" the taller one asked leaning on the table that separated them. It was almost amusing how the human thought the change in body language would make him feel threaten. Vlad looked up at the other man not feeling intimidated by the aggressive display.

"Perhaps," Vlad answered crossing his legs leaning back in his seat. He had just spent the better part of the day trying to convince the authorities that he had seen Catalina last at his mansion.

"You don't seem concern that she is missing," the other said leaning back into the corner of the interrogation room. "The woman who assaulted her is staying at your place as well. Was there an argument that got a little out of hand? Maybe you are seeing both of them and one found out. Maybe it was accident? An accidental death wouldn't look good to your business partners, would it?"

Vlad narrowed his eyes, "If you are accusing me of her disappearance, I can bring my lawyer." He was not amused by what the officer was suggesting. If he was seeing one of the women, he wouldn't betray her trust by seeing the other.

"We are not accusing you of anything, Mr. Masters," the first officer said. "We're trying to piece together what happened to Ms. Catalina." It was obvious he was trying to prevent involving lawyers which would affectively stop the line of questioning.

Vlad looked straight in the other's eyes and knew that the officer shuddered. It wasn't surprising; many people felt a natural fear response to the half ghost. Vlad always assumed it was the latent ecto-energy course through his body. "Madeline Fenton is an old college friend. I am providing a place to stay while she gets back on her feet."

" And Catalina? What is her relation with you?" the second officer asked also taking a seat in front of Vlad.

The billionaire paused for a second. "She works for me. She is my personal assistant.. and a good friend," the man admitted. The billionaire knew that to be true; he had to admit to himself the bright cheery woman wormed her way into his life and now he actually missed her chatter. It was as if the sun hid behind a cloud taking away its light and warmth. He looked away from the pair to look at the one-sided mirror behind them. "I would never harm her."

The officers looked at one another before leaving the billionaire alone staring at his reflection.

DP~DP~DP

Danny sat in the waiting room of the police station. The officers spoke to him a little, but decided that the teen didn't know anything and decided to let him go. The hero sat on the hard plastic chair. He tapped on the chair beside him as he waited. Vlad was the first to appear, his eyes looked far away and thoughtful.

If the billionaire saw him, he didn't act like it as he took a sit next to the teen. "So how was it? Did they convinced you to spill your guts?" Danny doubted it; Vlad seemed like a talented liar. The risk came from whether both Vlad and his mother's stories lined up.

Vlad looked at the halfa barely before looking at the door. "As amusing as it is to continue this conversation, I need to continue to search for Catalina."

"I'm going to wait for my mom," Danny said not knowing why he wanted the older halfa to know. Vlad nodded before exiting the police station. Danny sighed as he waited keeping an eye for his mom. Suddenly he remembered something that should have been painfully obvious. He jumped to his feet and hurried after Vlad. "Hey fruitloop," Danny called out causing the retreating business man stop and turn to face him.

"Daniel, I am very busy at the moment," Vlad chided. He crosses his arms across his chest narrowing his eyes, but otherwise didn't complain about the nickname.

"But the Boo-merang. We can use it to find Cat," Danny said proud that he thought of something that he billionaire hadn't. "It's still locked onto her signature."

"You're mother tried to do so yesterday," Vlad responded flatly, " It didn't detect her ecto-signature anywhere."

"Oh," Danny stated now feeling a little hopeless.

"I am planning to try the Ghost Zone tomorrow," Vlad stated before continuing to leave. "Call me when your mother is released."


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: Hello everyone. Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, whichever you prefer. Thank you Shiranai Atsune for following this story and me as well. I will also like to thank all of you for your continued support and for reading still. So without further ado, here's the next chapter. Oh I want to do something special for the 30th chapter, but I have no clue. So if you have any suggestions, I'll do that as an extra bit at the end.

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Terra straightened her shoulders in front of Clockwork not caring if the other ancient ghost thought her foolish. The clocks in the rotunda ticked in the background keeping the tower from silence. "You can't keep them in your game," Terra said to the time ghost. She held her head high ready for whatever the other ghost would throw at her.

The currently elderly ghost looked disappointed, "I had everything under control. Because of your actions, Pariah is tearing the Ghost Zone apart while the only two who can fix it are searching for a half-ghost who is running." Clockwork didn't shout but the tone of his voice was clearly stressed like it took everything he had to keep his cool. Terra knew that Xaoc and him had always been at odds and Clockwork was willing to do anything to stop the other. Clockwork pointed to the current time the movement of his hand drew Terra's attention. The portal shifted to a vision of the Far Frozen melting, its white peaks crumbling. The ice giving away in swirls of blue energy as glowing bodies flew away from the collapsing kingdom. Green skeletons were chasing down the survivors while others dotted the remaining white expanse.

Terra's form turned ice white as she looked down feeling slightly ashamed that everything seemed to be crumbling. Her eyes focused on the white icy crystals on her dress that would have matched the formally thriving Far Frozen. She closed her eyes willing her form to switch to her green spring like form. She looked up back to the portal. The scene changed from the Far Frozen to a familiar halfa. The woman held a smaller ghost within her clawed grip. She grinned a fanged smirked that didn't contain any humanity, her red eyes just shy of manic glee. The small ghost in her hands squirmed desperately green ecto-energy swarming around its struggling form. "That's the person you saved. She is just as bad as the first halfa. A selfish human who would sooner run than face Pariah or Xaoc," Clockwork said. "She isn't a knight, rook, or bishop. She is a pawn; a piece to sacrifice to save other pieces. It isn't a nice way of thinking, but I must think of the greater good."

Terra looked at the time ghost in disbelief. While the woman seemed a bit unhinged at the moment, Terra had faith in the halfa to turn around and join Danny to fight Pariah. "But pawns when battle worn become stronger than before," Terra countered. She looked back at the woman in the portal and hoped that she would remember who she was.

Clockwork grinned, "Indeed they do." Terra looked at the ghost finally understanding him. The ancient ghost didn't ask for this assignment that came with difficult sacrifices, but he did it anyways.

DP~DP~DP

Catalina released the ghost in her hands. The green blob jetted away looking over its shoulder once before Catalina turned away from it gathering energy to also careen herself away to hide. She slid to a stop on an empty island digging a pair of trenches into the soil. The halfa brushed herself off before padding away from her landing spot. She looked over her shoulder once narrowing her red eyes when she sensed the faint energy of her pursuer. Catalina dove into the underbrush lowering her energy to hopefully blend in.

She kept her eyes trained above her as the energy signature became stronger and closer. Catalina watched as the blue-haired female ghost stopped above her hiding spot. The female halfa lowered herself to press herself against the ground. The undergrowth making the smallest of rustling noises. The gray-clothed ghost turned her head downward. Two pairs of ruby red eyes met. The halfa's eyes widen in shock. Catalina rolled to the side as an ecto-blast pummeled the foliage that previously hid her. The female halfa was on her feet running in a zig-zag formation as the ghost shot at her. Catalina launched herself into the branches overhead. The attacker's ecto-blast creating a small crater where her feet left the ground.

The woman swallowed knowing that she was running on empty. Her eyesight was already starting to blur and her head spin. She shot a weak blue blast at the ghost which fizzled out before it even reached her. The other ghost smirked as Catalina's face fell.

DP~DP~DP

Eris grinned at the trapped weakened halfa. She couldn't wait to return to her master with the Ring of Wrath in one had and the head of the halfa in the other. Her master thought it best for her to eliminate the one contingency to his plan, but in order to do so she had to relinquish his disembodied core. This infuriated Eris and made her more determined than ever to destroy the halfa. After a week of hunting, she had finally cornered her. The halfa was obviously exhausted which didn't surprised the ghost; the female had not the opportunity to rest. The female halfa was dodging the best she could as she dashed through the branches in an attempt to throw the ghost off her trail. Eris could see how heavy each move was as she jumped through the branches.

The woman landed on a thinner branch swaying as she tried to regain her balance. Eris took her opening gathering pink energy to her hand and electrifying it. The woman turned as the attack buzzed toward her. The pink energy struck her in the stomach sending her to the ground roughly. The halfa's mouth was a perfect circle as the air was forced from her lungs. She arched her back as electricity jumped over her form and a loud scream filled the air. Eris landed with a soft thud next to the incapacitated ghost. The ghost gave a smug grin holding up a hand sparking with electricity.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad looked only once to Danny who flew silently. The older halfa turned his attention back to the boo-merang that remained locked onto its target. The billionaire didn't ask, but he knew that the teen was as grateful as he was that the tracking device was still locked onto its target. The beeping grew louder and more frequent. Vlad grinned as he could feel the small flame of the woman's energy.

"Can you not smile like that?" Danny asked, "It looks creepy." The teen smirked at his own dig.

"I can finally sense her," Vlad said as he sped up passing the boo-merang.

"Hey, wait up, fruitloop," Danny called as he also sped up.

Vlad only looked behind to reply, "Turn off the boo-merang so Catalina won't meet a steel boomerang." The millionaire turned back focusing on the little flame feeling relieved that Catalina was so close. He could see a small forested island ahead. The land approached quickly as the man neared. He saw a flash of pink light and he mentally berated himself for not noticing the other ecto-signature.

The joy and relief he felt was replace with rage as he quickened his pace to Catalina's position. As he passed through the dense forest he saw a larger pink flash. Vlad watched as a blue-haired ghost landed next to a paralyzed Catalina. The ghost held pink energy in her hand. The billionaire narrowed his gaze as his anger was directed to this unknown ghost. The attacker struck, but was met with a pink shield that Vlad threw up around his assistant. Both females' red eyes darted to him reflecting shock and displeasure.

The ghost turned to face Vlad as he dropped the shield. "I am feeling generous today so I'll give you exactly three seconds to get yourself away," Vlad threatened with a low growl. The ghost didn't seemed phased, but Vlad's attention was on Catalina who got to her feet slowly. She was swaying slightly but she didn't look relieved to see him. The man was slightly hurt that she didn't flash a smile, but he didn't have time to think about that; the ghost's time was up.

The billionaire gathered electrical energy shooting a large bolt at the female ghost who jumped away from the attack and Catalina. The ghost retaliated with an attack of her own. Vlad dodged by duplicating and separating. Both him and his duplicate flanked the ghost with a pair of glowing fists. The ghost teleported above Vlad with a smug look on her face which Vlad was determined to wipe off her face.

He teleported as well shooting a blast at his duplicate who used a shield to reflect it at the ghost. It struck home sending the ghost spinning through the air. Vlad shot her again sending her spinning in the opposite direction. The ghost teleported and Vlad searched for the enemy. He found her shaking her head trying to clear it. Vlad gathered energy to his legs charging up to the female ghost with a fistful of energy. The female ghost didn't have time to react as his hand reached into her chest, his fingers tightening around her core. The billionaire pulled his hand back; a red hot ball of energy was in his fingers.

The female ghost didn't have time to react before she started to fade away. Vlad let the core in his hand dissolve into the air with a huff. That should teach any ghost who would dare harm his Catalina. The billionaire turned to look for the woman. "Hey, Vlad. Look I found Cat," Danny's cheerful voice called out. Vlad turned to respond to the teen.

The white-haired halfa was waving him down. Catalina was sitting against a tree the same displeased look on her face. Vlad padded to the pair lowering himself so he was eye to eye with her. "How are you felling?" Vlad asked concerned.

The woman shrugged, "As well as I could be." Vlad straightened to his full height and offered his hand. The woman narrowed her eyes at the offered aide, but didn't take it. She got to her feet on her own. The three were silently staring at each other; Vlad and Danny not knowing how to speak with the woman.

"Are you coming back, Cat?" Danny asked. "We have both been worried about you... Don't deny it, Vlad," Danny added. Catalina looked at him one eyebrow raised.

"What about your mother, Danny? I am sure she wants me on her lab table," Catalina responded crossing her arms around her stomach as if to protect herself.

"I told her everything. She's not going to hurt you," Danny responded quickly.

The woman thought for a moment before speaking up, "Then there really isn't a reason to stay here then." As she took a step toward the two, she lurched forward and Vlad caught her. He tightened his hold on the frail woman.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well. So for the New Year, I decided to make a resolution to update more frequently (once a week). As you can see I am not doing so hot, but I am trying to get caught up. You may see another chapter from me this week. Thank you, NightsBlackRose for favoriting this fic.

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Catalina refused to let Vlad man-handle her. She wasn't week; she was strong. She terrorized the ghost in the Zone for the entire time she was free and she refused to fall back to depending on the other halfa. She pushed herself out of the warm embrace to stand on her own two feet. She crossed her arms not knowing why she was so mad at the older halfa, but anger was still what she felt.

He looked almost hurt at her reaction or was that merely what she wished his response was. Danny looked between the two uncomfortably. "We should get home. I'm sure that Mom made dinner."

"Wow, Blood Blossoms sure sound delicious right now," Catalina snapped sarcastically.

"Catalina," Vlad's stern voice said as if warning her to calm down. She fumed refusing to calm, this aggressiveness kept her alive surrounded by monsters. She took a deep breath in to keep from shouting at the man. "Danny lead the way. Tell your mother that we will be coming in time for dinner."

"Why do I have to go?" Danny asked.

"Please," Vlad added looking at the youngest halfa.

"Fine, but you owe me one fruitloop," Danny said flying off to the Zone. Catalina watched at his white hair disappeared into the green air space.

Vlad turned his attention to Catalina who stood tapping her toe. "What did you want to talk about?" Catalina asked putting a hand on her hip. She could feel the ring she took in her pocket.

"This aggressiveness is something new from you. What is the matter?" Vlad asked putting a hand on her shoulder.

Catalina narrowed her eyes. "What's the matter? Oh, I don't know. I have been chased around the Ghost Zone for the past several days without food or rest. This was after I ate poisonous Blood Blossoms and was nearly dissected. Am I missing anything?" She said sarcastically.

"Who's after you?" Vlad asked, "Why are they after you?"

"Of course, ignore Madeline's crimes," Catalina muttered under her breath. She narrowed her eyes at Vlad trying to decide whether to trust the man with the information. She wondered why her anger at her circumstances redirected itself to the man standing in front of her. She tried not to fall for those ruby eyes that seemed to be caring.

"Catalina, you can tell me. I can't protect you if you don't tell me," Vlad stated, "Of course you have seemed to take care of yourself pretty well." The halfa gave the woman a smile that seemed proud. That stupid smile making her heart jump and her stomach flip.

She sighed reaching into her pocket to pull out the ring she took from Pariah. She held it out to Vlad. His eyes widened at the jewelry in her palm. he quickly put his hand over it covering it from sight. "You took the Ring of Wrath?" Vlad said his voice surprised. "I can keep it safe if you will like," he added softly, "It will get Pariah off your trail."

"I rather keep it," Catalina said putting it back into her pocket. "At least until the threat is over. Then you can have it," Catalina said.

"Alright. I think we let Danny wait long enough," Vlad said giving the woman space.

DP~DP~DP~

Vlad pushed the large football away from his portal and both flew through to the lab. Both landed turning into their human forms. He could hear Cat's breath catch in her throat and the tough attitude she was carrying seemed to melt away as she reached out to wrap her arms around his one arm. He could feel her shaking as her eyes darted through the room. "You're safe here, Catalina. There is nothing to fear here," Vlad said leading her out of the lab quickly and into his private study.

The woman visibly relaxed letting her death grip loosen and she breathed a sigh of relief. She was going to remove her hands but Vlad put his own on top of hers stopping the movement. "Madeline didn't cook dinner. Wolfgang would have; he would kill anyone who steps foot in the kitchen. Consider it a warning to not to bug him."

Catalina chuckled which was another relief to Vlad. He continued to lead the woman when she noticed the state of dress she was in. The dress she wore the day she went missing was tattered and dirty. The billionaire debated whether to tell the woman to dress herself into something nicer or to tell her to eat. Her face was drawn and thin. "Vlad, I think I should clean up before I eat dinner. You don't mind if I take care of that," she slipped her arm out of his.

"Of course, follow me. I have a room that I set up in case you needed to stay over," Vlad stated. The woman was immensely quiet and Vlad turn to see a beet red Catalina. The billionaire caught onto the hidden meaning of the words. "I didn't intend... that is not what I meant."

"Are you sure?" Catalina said with a smug look. Vlad didn't look at Catalina as she stepped closer to him. "Don't worry. I understand. Thank you for the thought. This is the room, right?" the woman asked pointing to a wood door.

"Yes, it is," Vlad stated a little disappointed when the woman stepped away.

"See you in fifteen minutes. You know, I was thinking. You probably should hold onto this while I'm in the shower," she stated holding out the ring pressing it into his hand putting herself close to the man. She backed away and went into the room that she indicated earlier.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Ugh, I had this chapter almost typed out and I accidently deleted it. So again I will like to thank wwareham1 for adding this story to your favorites. This story will not last any longer than five more chapters. It has been fun, but I am ready to move on to another story.

-Miss Tori- Thank you so much for your kind words. I honestly needed them; I was about to delete this entire story, but hearing that someone likes it really motivate me to continue.

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Catalina closed the door behind her taking a deep breath in. She tried to detangle the mess of her emotions. She was angry, scared, anxious, and tired. She could feel the exhaustion deep in her bones clinging to her form making her want to switch to her ghost form just to relieve some of the tiredness. Catalina's stomach growled loudly reminding her that she hadn't eaten in forever.

The gnawing in her gut encouraged her to speed up to the closest. She opened the door to the walk in closest to see the wide array of clothing. She gave a low whistle at the beautiful articles all lined in perfect rows. She let her hand drift over the differing materials. "You should wear this," a female voice chimed in causing the halfa to spin ecto-energy in her hand.

A female ghost wearing a maid outfit stood in front of her holding up a single hand. "Woah, calm down. It was just a suggestion."

Catalina looked at the black dress in the ghost's hand. "How did you sneak up on me? My ghost sense should have warned me," she said not releasing the energy in her hands that made the closest glow blue.

The maid smirked, "With all due respect, you are in no condition to be walking around. You need to rest." Catalina narrowed her eyes trying to keep suspicion at bay. "I'll just leave this here then," the maid said backing away slowly, "You could tone down the paranoia down a notch."

Catalina sighed, "Thank you for your help." She clenched her fist as tears threatened to slip past her eyes. She wasn't this person, she wasn't this vile being. So why was it so hard to put on that smile, why couldn't she just let all wrongs against her slide down her back? The woman shook her head taking the dress that the maid let behind and going to the bathroom.

She stood under the burning water trying to wash away the past week. To let all the pain and fear go down the drain, but it wasn't working. Catalina could feel tears sliding down her cheeks. After her shower, she put on the little black dress. She just looked at her reflection staring at the reddish tint in her eyes. Catalina took a deep breath closing her eyes before reopening them. She gave a convincing fake smile to her reflection. The halfa nodded to herself before exiting the bathroom and the next room.

She opened the hall to see Vlad standing there leaning against the opposite wall with his arms crossed. Catalina smiled so large it hurt her face. "It is amazing what a warm shower can do," she said.

"I suppose, but even a shower can't fix everything. Catalina, how are you feeling?" Vlad asked.

Catalina could feel her smile slip for a second before she managed to pull up its corners again. "Fine. Like I said, the shower helped," she lied. The man sighed holding out his hand. Catalina put her own hand on his as he guided it to the crook of his elbow.

"Let's not keep Danny and Madeline waiting," Vlad stated as he led the pair to the dinning hall. She became quiet as their footsteps echoed down the hall. She could feel him casting worried looks at her and she was sure to throw him a smile right back.

They reached the dinning room much to late. Catalina could feel her smile slipping off her face as Vlad opened the dinning hall. Madeline sat with Danny and both looked up at the two entering halfas. Catalina tightened her fingers on Vlad's arm not enough to harm him, but it was definitely noticeable. The man guided her to a seat and pulled out the said chair. Catalina took the seat giving a mumbled thanks as she kept her eyes on Madeline.

Vlad took his own seat beside the female halfa as the two woman stared at each other. Catalina could feel her fangs digging themselves into her tongue. Danny looked from his mother to the other woman looking a little worried. "So, Sam and Tucker are coming over. I had asked them to help with the search and I didn't have the heart to tell them not to come."

"Danny," Madeline stated as if she was going to start reprimanding the teen.

"That was a good idea Danny," Vlad stated resulting in confused looks from the other diners.

"Yeah, are you feeling okay?" Danny asked looking at the millionaire.

"Yes, you can use some company. It would stop your constant sulking," Vlad added.

Maddie didn't look happy with his choice of words which caused Catalina to smirk in amusement. No doubt she was thinking about the lost of her husband and daughter. Catalina looked down at her plate in shame; she shouldn't be happy at the other woman's misery. The tense mood settled over the table again.

Catalina pushed her mostly empty plate away feeling her appetite disappear. "May I be excused?" she asked not really looking for an answer. She got to her feet slowly pushing her empty chair back in. She walked away briskly leaving the entire awkward group behind.

Not knowing what to do with herself, she went back into the room Vlad had designated earlier. She collapsed on the bed exhaustion causing her eyes to droop. A soft knock came at the door. "Go ahead and come in," Catalina answered feeling slightly annoyed at the intruder.

The door opened to reveal Danny whose blue eyes looked concerned. Catalina sat up a little to get into a more comfortable talking position. Danny stepped into the room looking a little unsure. "Cat, I am worried about you," Danny admitted coming to sit on the bed by her feet.

Catalina prepared her best fake smile for him. "I am fine. Just a little tired. I'll be right as rain as soon as I get enough sleep. You have fun with Sam and Tucker," she said.

"My mom didn't mean to hurt you the way she did. She didn't understand; so I want to apologize for her. Can you find it in your heart to forgive her?" he asked. Catalina almost wanted to scoff at the hero's plead; of course the child with a hero complex would want everyone to just move on and get along.

"Yes, I can," the woman lied before the teen realized the hesitation. Danny smiled widely which warmed the halfa's broken heart.

There was another knock on the door and Catalina let the knocker in. Vlad stepped a little more confidently in than Danny. In his hand was a glass of glowing green liquid. "Catalina, we will let you rest. I just ask that you drink this to help your healing progress." Vlad explained holding out the glass. Catalina took the glass hands shaking remembering the last time she took food from someone. Vlad noticed the nervousness. "I have no reason to harm you. I only wish for your speedy recovery." Catalina nodded before taking a large swig of the liquid.

It was sour, but she finished the drink quickly. She handed the empty glass back to Vlad as grogginess overcame her. She felt hands guiding her to a laying position as another pair put the covers over her. Catalina's eyes closed slowly as she felt gentle fingers in her hair and a soft breath against her cheek. "You are perfectly safe," Vlad stated.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad let go a breath he didn't know he was holding. "You drugged her," Danny said his voice a little harsh.

"She needs her rest and it was the only way to assure that she would rest the appropriate amount of time," Vlad walked out of the room Danny following behind him. The teen closed the door softly behind him. The man stopped the teen from leaving right away. "There is something important I need to tell you. I normally wouldn't, but laying all my cards on the table will result in a better outcome," Vlad started.

"Get to the point fruitloop," Danny interrupted.

"Catalina is being pursued by some very powerful ghosts. In the state she is in she will not stand a chance," Vlad continued. The billionaire recognized the gears shifting in the teen's head. "Do you understand what I am saying? I drugged her so we can take care of the problem. If she got a whiff of what is going on, she would be battling along side us."

Danny nodded agreeing which didn't surprised the older halfa. The teen always did have a hero complex and saving a damsel in distress was a call he couldn't ignore.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: What is this? A new chapter? I know shocking. Anywho, thank you everyone for reading. Thank you DavidC20OfficialWriter for following/ favoriting myself and this fic. Thank you Aliceheartphila for favoriting and following this fic.

-Stormshadow13- thank you for your kind words.

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Danny followed the older halfa through the many halls searching for his mother. He briefly wondered how the older halfa lived in such an empty and quiet castle; it made him miss the loudness of Fenton Works. Danny suggested the lab that Vlad had given the ghost huntress when his mother wasn't in the sitting room. Vlad had agreed and redirected them to the lab. Unsurprisingly she was in her lab which made Danny a bit sad that she was still obsessed with ghost. She was watching something on a monitor that the two halfas couldn't see. Her face was scrunched in disgust at whatever she was watching.

She must have heard the two set of footsteps. The ghost huntress looked up from what she was watching pausing the video. "How is she?" Madeline asked trying her best to be concerned about the other woman. Her violet eyes shifted to her computer quickly when she said this.

"She is sleeping at the moment. She should be up and about tomorrow morning and hopefully any wounds would be healed by then," Vlad responded avoiding the part about how he drug the female halfa. Danny looked at the older halfa giving him a pointed look as if it would urge the older halfa to spill the bean. "There is , however, an issue that would present a bigger problem has come to my attention," Vlad stated.

Madeline turned off her monitor getting to her feet. "What is this problem?" she asked.

"Catalina was being chased by two very powerful ghost before we found her. I believe they would try to attack her once again," Vlad answered. "With Daniel's friends and you as well, we can drive them back."

Madeline was quiet for a moment. "I don't feeling comfortable having the kids fight this threat." She pulled at her gloves

"We fight ghost all the time," Danny interrupted before his mother could ban him from participating. She gave him a small smile at his spirit. "How hard can it be? Who exactly is after Catalina anyways?" he asked the older halfa.

Vlad was quiet for a moment. "I am not entirely certain," he responded. Danny huffed knowing that the millionaire was holding back information. The teen was about to complain as such when Vlad's butler walked in.

"Sir, Master Daniel's guests have arrived," the ghost disguised as a human stated.

"Thank you, Jarvis. We will be there," Vlad responded. "We should greet your friends quickly before they destroy my mansion." The suited man led the way as the two Fentons followed after.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad tried to keep his patience after explaining the situation to the human teens they seemed to suspect him of something. It was aggravating that he was telling the truth but the goth girl was insistent that the man was lying. The older halfa wondered when teenagers became so disrespectful to their elders.

"Why should we help her? It's her own fault that the ghosts are after her. She probably did something to annoy them," Sam complained.

"Samantha, I understand where you are coming from, but I assure you that she did nothing to cause this. Some ghost are just territorial and she must have wondered into their territory," Vlad explained. "And of course I have ghost hunting equipment that I was going to provide. It could prove useful to your future endeavors." Vlad could see the three teens thinking it over. Madeline seemed resigned at the moment coming to the conclusion that she wasn't going to be able to stop the teens.

They huddled together speaking in stage whispers. Vlad didn't tell them that he could hear every word they said and was rather unpleased with the words they decided to give him. After a debate that lasted minutes, the teens separated. "We'll help you, Vlad," Danny said for his two friends. Tucker seemed excited to see what tech that Vlad would give them and Sam tried her best not to be excited as well.

Vlad smiled amused leading the trio to his study. He had moved the equipment earlier to prevent the three from seeing his lab and the experiments he was working on. The three teens were quiet as they looked at the items in front of them. "For the lovely Samantha," Vlad stated handing the girl a pair of silver bangles. He caught the girl's low correction of 'Sam', but didn't bother to correct himself.

She took them from his hand roughly putting them on her wrist, "What is this suppose to do?" She twirled them around her wrists purple eyes looking suspiciously at the jewelry.

"It is a full ghost hunter suit just press the small button in the inside the bracelet on your right," Vlad explained. The two teenage boys looked on expectantly as Sam did as instructed. Energy whirled around her as a red ghost huntress suit covered her body.

Judging from her body language, Vlad suspected that the girl was impressed with the suit and whatever her visor was showing. It wasn't surprising considering that he had that suit prepared for another teenage girl. "Cool. What about me, dude?" Tucker asked waving a hand in the air.

Vlad scoff, but luckily he had some equipment he was going to give Skulker, but the hunter could wait. Vlad held out a large gun. Tucker looked at it not impressed. "Uh, not to be rude, but I don't think I can use this."

"He can't even carry it," Sam added as Tucker tried to lift the large gun, but stumbled with it.

"Can we just check out the lab and pick whatever you want?" Tucker asked. Vlad tried not to snap at them.

"No," Vlad responded, " It is best to pick from what I have brought it out. My lab isn't a place for children to be." Danny gave him a suspicious look, but didn't say anything. Tucker put the gun down and he looked at the equipment. "How about this remote?" he asked.

Vlad looked at the remote with a lack of interest, "That remote only controls a small drone. It has some weapon capabilities, but its main focus is to create a containment field."

"You had me at drone," Tucker said taking the remote and hugged it to his face. Vlad tried not to have a strange face at the affection the teen showed the electronic component. The teens looked over themselves with pride, but the look was quickly wiped away as Danny's ghost sense went off.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: Ugh, I really need to save these chapters. I deleted the first copy that I wrote up. I hope this is okay. Thank you for reading guys. This will probably have only a chapter or two more since I have lost a lot of motivation for this story.

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Vlad knew that the powerful energy wasn't a good sign. With the portal shut, there shouldn't be any ghost signatures that he didn't recognize. "We need to get out of here now," Vlad ordered hurrying to the door. He didn't bothered to see if the others were following.

He could hear the stampede of footsteps behind him. The halls echoed with more noise than Vlad had ever heard from them; it was a bit unsettling that he never notice how quiet his life was. The billionaire didn't bother with opening the back door and instead phased through it. He did, however, hear the rest of the group open and shut the door. The little action was lost on Vlad as he stared at the sky.

The normal crystal blue sky was now green with swirls of lighter green energy. Vlad stared at the copy of the Ghost Zone aghast. It was impossible, but then again, he had never encountered the Ghost King before and had no gauge to measure his power.

"What is happening? It seems like your estate was dragged into the Ghost Zone," Madeline's voice asked from behind. Vlad didn't know how to answer, but he was starting to suspect that the rumors he heard about the King were true.

"The Ghost King is unable to leave the Ghost Zone so for him to hunt down Catalina he brought the Ghost Zone to us," Vlad explained.

"Wait a sec, the Ghost King is after her?" Tucker said, "Isn't it treason or something to defend her?"

Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose trying not to lose his patience. "The King was punished for his misdeeds against Ghostkind. I don't think we will be facing a jury," Vlad responded his tone tense.

"How do we beat the King of Ghosts?" Sam stated her mind already plotting.

"If we remove his crown, he should be weaken significantly," Vlad stated running his finger over the ring in his pocket. It was the reason for this huge debacle and could be a bargaining chip if the need arise.

The sound of rattling drew the group's attention to green shapes dropping to the ground. Vlad couldn't tell what they were for a couple of moments. The shapes stood up revealing themselves to be skeletal ghosts. The ghosts had barely enough time to gain their footing as they were plowed through with twin rays of green energy. The bones scattered as Vlad looked over his shoulder to see Madeline and Sam with a pair of ghost guns. They each had a face of satisfaction as the smoke billowed from their respective guns.

"We got these skeletons. Just take out the King," Madeline said before running to the crowd of glowing skeletons. Sam flew behind the older ghost huntress floating on her newly acquired hoverboard.

"Follow me, Daniel, I can track down the king," Vlad stated shifted to his ghost form and taking off into the sky.

"Right behind you, Fruitloop," Danny responded also taking to the sky.

"I'll give you two cover," Tucker called out from the ground. Vlad didn't think much of the teen's suggestion as he flew through the dropping skeletons. Occasionally he could hear the buzz of the drone before seeing glowing bones scatter.

The billionaire quickly tune into the Ghost King's signature. It was simple since it was the largest signature in the area. "What's the plan?" Danny asked from his side.

Vlad had to grin as he thought to himself that this was something he had always wished for. He wanted the other halfa to work along side him. "You're faster than I am so I need you to be my distraction. I will remove the crown and it should even the fight."

"Why am I the distraction?" Danny asked in that annoying tone of his. Vlad sighed trying to keep his patience. "You can take a hit really well maybe you should be the distraction."

Vlad managed to hold his tongue from making a remark. Instead he took a deep breath before responding, "Either way would work." Vlad could feel the energy signature getting closer and he looked forward to see the source of the signature.

Floating in the air with an almost regal air, was a large ghost dressed like a Viking. "Hybrids, I have no desire to harm you. Just hand over the thief and no one would be harmed," the king's booming voice said. Once upon a time, Vlad would have done do without a second thought.

"If you want to get to her, you have to go through us," Danny shouted from his side. Vlad smirked at he typical hero remark, but grateful that the teen could put his sentiment into words. The king didn't look amused at the teen.

The halfas split as a large beam of red energy passed through where they were previously standing. Danny sped to the right and Vlad to the left. The ghost king determined the bigger threat to be Vlad who had just flew to his blind side.

The Viking turned his head to follow the older halfas flight. Vlad dropped his altitude as another beam attack shot over his hair barely missing the pointed parts of his hair. Danny took the moment to shoot a precise beam at the crown on the king's head.

Vlad had to grin in pride as the green energy hit the crown straight on knocking off the flaming green headwear off the King's head. The two halfas had to hold onto their ears as the king roared in frustration. The crown disappeared into the crowd of skeletons.

The king formed a mace in his hand swinging at Danny who turned intangible right before the weapon hit. Vlad formed pink discs between his palms and tossed them toward the king's unprotected back. Five of them struck making the other ghost flinch away from attacking the younger halfa again.

Vlad dodged a well aimed blast feeling the warmth as it passed his face. "I hope you have your thermos on you, Daniel," Vlad stated dodging another blast while Danny retaliated with his own.

Pariah shifted targets and swung at Danny leaving his back open to Vlad who sent a two-handed blast at the king. Vlad duplicated himself shooting rays of energy at Pariah. The king threw his mace at he original Vlad. Vlad spun out of the way only for the mace to come back around hitting him square between his shoulders. The blow knocked him off balance and headlong into another red beam.

Vlad stumbled slightly and rubbed his head in a vain attempt to stop its pounding. Vlad could hear Danny's shout of pain. The teen held one arm his face twisted in pain. Vlad gathered as much energy to his hands electrifying the energy sending it as a large bolt toward the king's blind side.

The attack struck and as the ghost was off balanced, Danny activated the thermos in his hands. The thermos's energy caught the weakened ghost dragging him into its metallic prison. Danny smirked looking toward Vlad, "That was easy."

Vlad frowned knowing what Danny said was true, "A little too easy." He looked back to the ground watching as the skeleton army crumbled to dust. The trio of humans looked up with matching grins.

DP~DP~DP

Xoac grinned manically to himself as he walked the empty halls of the halfa's mansion. He could sense the female's signature. It was thready and weak, but enough for him to use it like a beacon. He walked through walls intangible until he stood at the foot of a bed with a single occupant. He floated silently keeping his eyes on the still form.

He almost laughed at how easy this was. While Pariah distracted the halfas, he could destroy both halfa's lives. Then Dan would be created and he would have the power to overpower Clockwork. The parasitic ghost lifted his hand buzzing with energy intending to end the female's existence.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well. I am doing pretty well. This might be the second to last chapter (excluding an epilogue if any want to read it) Thank you PandaQueen2015 and rangerfan1871 for following/ favoriting this fic.

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Danny looked at the now crystal blue sky in triumph. He looked to the older halfa with a grin which was matched with the billionaire's own smirk. The teen didn't bother to even put on a frown. Suddenly, Vlad's red eyes darted to the mansion below before Danny was faced with empty air. A swirl of pink energy had replaced the halfa's horror-filled face. The teen looked around the sky for any sign of the other halfa who teleported away. He dived to the ground where Sam and the others were waiting feeling his stomach sinking.

The teen could almost feel his face turn red when he caught sight of Sam in her ghost hunter gear; she did look good in it. "I am so proud of you, Danny," his mother called out ruining any heroic imagery.

"Thanks mom," he managed to say before being crushed in a hug from the woman.

"Where did Vlad go?" Sam asked her suspicion clear in her voice. Maddie released Danny to also look for the halfa in question. A loud boom came from the direction of the castle. Danny swerved immediately to the castle.

"We forgot about Cat," he said leaving behind his friends and mother; he should have known to keep an eye on the other halfa. He increased his speed as he turned intangible phasing through the walls. He floated for a second focusing on his hearing to hear the sound of ectoblasts from deep in the house.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad had heard the first ectoblast; his ears so well tuned to the noise knew that it didn't come from his or Maddie's ghost weapons. He knew that he had forgotten something very important. He didn't bother to explain to the teen halfa where he was going when he teleported. He reappeared in the room he had left Catalina.

He was faced with a tense scene. Jarvis and one of his ghostly maids stood beside the bed where Catalina was still sleeping; a shimmering dome of energy covered the trio protecting all three. Vlad made a mental note to repay his servants as he turned to the ghost who dared attack his...whatever Catalina was to him. He instantly recognized the ghost. The ghost's silver hair and Grecian outfit only belonged to one ghost; the only off-putting thing was the other ghost's energy and his pitch black eyes.

"Timus, You have crossed a line," Vlad growled at the ghost who just looked amused. "You two, get her out of here. I don't care where," he ordered his two servants. The two nodded quickly. The maid picked up Catalina putting her on her back and Jarvis upheld his shield. The three phased away leaving Vlad glaring at the other ghost.

"I'll just find her again. You can't keep her safe forever," the ghost stated with the cruelest of smiles.

"I just need the next ten minutes," Vlad said confidently, "Any last words?"

The ghost smirked shooting dark green almost black energy toward Vlad who put up a reflective pink shield. The dark energy bounced off harmlessly barreling toward the ghost. The ghost turned intangible letting the dark energy pass through him. The attack smashed into the wall making it crumble. Vlad dodged to the left as a larger attack smashed through the pink shield.

He duplicated himself sending pink blasts to the other ghost who shifted to slide through the attacks. The wall behind the other ghost was quickly becoming unstable. Vlad debated whether to take the fight outside before the room collapsed. A bright green ray interrupted his thought as the ghost was flung across the room. "Hey, don't just disappear without saying anything, Fruitloop," Danny's voice said irritated. "Where's Cat?"

"She's safe now," Vlad said turning his attention to the ghost who was getting to an upright position.

Danny narrowed his eyes at the other ghost in the room. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"Name's Xaoc," the ghost said which Vlad had to admit would account for the differences in appearance.

"And I care why?" Danny asked shooting an attack at the ghost which smashed into the bed's headrest.

Xaoc grinned fangs bared. "You should. I was once one of the three ghost who controlled the passage of time who protected it." He shot a couple of blasts at the halfas which Vlad blocked with his shield. "That was before I was destabilized," the ghost growled.

Vlad grinned to himself as he dodged another attack. His enemy just gave him a weak point. The ghost must be using something to keep from dispersing. If he could destroy it, then the battle would be over.

The billionaire turned to Danny and motioned to the outside of the house. The teen nodded his agreement and the two flew at top speed knocking the ghost through the wall. The two followed outside of the mansion.

Now with more room, Vlad felt more confident to let loose. He sent large bolts of pink energy. The pink bolts jumped erratically through the sky causing the ghost's attention to be fully on dodging the attack. Danny quick as a whip followed after the attack striking with his fist filled with energy.

The ghost was singed slightly from not dodging completely before Danny's fist collided with his jaw. Xaoc flew back due to the force his hand flying to something around his neck protectively.

Vlad stopped the cocky smirk when he caught the movement. "Daniel, back to me," he called. He was very lucky that that the other halfa obliged. Floating backwards shooting blast while the billionaire created shields to protect the halfa from being hit.

"What did you want," Danny asked his eyes focused on the ghost.

"If he is truly destabilized, destroying him is as easy as destroying the object keeping his core." Vlad could tell that the teen needed more information. "It is around his neck."

Danny nodded and grinned. "Sounds like a plan." The two broke their little huddle separating to either side of the ghost.

"Hey, we're here too," Sam's voice came as she floating in on her hoverboard. The buzzing of a drone also echoed behind. Vlad knew without looking that Maddie had to be on the ground below.

His assumption was proved correct as a gun blast shot toward the ghost. A red blast from Sam hit while Tucker's drone distracted with its irritating buzz. Danny had joined the fray shooting green blasts. The heavy assault was too much for the ghost. He was struck again and again as the differing attacks acted as distractions and causing damage.

Vlad took a chance to end the fight slipping past the friendly fire to snatch the necklace that swung as the ghost tried to dodge. He barely looked at the black mass in his hand when he was struck in the back. The pain was hot and burning as he could feel consciousness slip away him. He focused on the black pendent that fell along with him. A thin green blast struck it and it shattered into dust.

A loud scream was all he heard before darkness overtook him.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: Hello everyone. I hope you are doing well. Thanks Kiwi-Slurp-Slurp for following this fic. Thank you everyone who has read so far and giving me support.

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Catalina opened her eyes slowly immediately sensing that something was off. Her mouth felt dry and she suspected that she didn't fall asleep naturally. She shut her eyes again as the naturally evening light bothered her sensitive eyes. "You're finally awake," Vlad's voice said softly as if suspecting that the halfa had a headache.

"Yup," Catalina moaned softly, "remind me not to drink something that I didn't pour. Could be pretty dangerous." She opened her eyes to glare at the billionaire. He seemed a bit dishevel as if he hadn't rested in a while. "Are you alright?" she added quickly before the other halfa could respond. "Where's Pariah? I can't stay here," she answered just as quickly sitting upright so fast she was surprised she didn't get whiplash.

Vlad put his hands on her shoulders stopping her from getting to her feet. "I have taken care of it. There isn't any reason for you to fear. Just relax and recuperate," he said softly. Catalina narrowed her eyes searching for any hint of dishonesty, but there was none. She relaxed a little laying back down.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked deducing that if her problem was 'taken care of' that there had to be a confrontation.

The billionaire smirked, "Yes, the altercation was solved without any major injury. The others are in one of the sitting rooms celebrating."

Catalina frowned, "Then why aren't you with them?"

Vlad chuckled a little, "I don't think my presence would be welcomed."

Catalina pushed herself back up turning to get off the bed before the other halfa could stop her. She put both hands around his arms tugging him to a standing position. "I think you're a part of the reason that they are celebrating their victory. So why don't we just join them," she said softly as she got the two of them to their feet or rather Vlad stood up. She looked up at him smiling trying to look encouraging.

He sighed slightly, "If you really want to see them, then we can go." Catalina nodded to herself as he guided the two through the castle.

He opened the door to the room slowly revealing the three teens and the ghost huntress sitting talking to themselves. "I thought you said this is a party, Vlad," Catalina said with fake disappointment. The female halfa waved as the focus of the group became her. She could see the various reactions from the group. The teens looked various levels of relief that she was alright and Maddie couldn't quite make eye contact.

"What, you were throwing a party, Cheesehead? I think you need some pointers," Danny said smartly. Catalina chuckled as Vlad rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh.

The two took the empty loveseat. Catalina plopped a little less than gracefully sighing in relief as her lack of energy became apparent. Vlad gave her a concerned look which was reflected in the faces of the others. She gave them a reassuring smile. "Wolfgang should be here with the refreshments soon. After all what is a party without food," Vlad stated.

Catalina could feel a pair of eyes on her and turned to Maddie who looked away guiltily. She sighed to herself' there are a lot of bad blood between them, but perhaps with time they could begin to repair that. She leaned toward Vlad feeling tired once again much to her disappointment. Vlad didn't seem to mind and pulled her closer. She shut her eyes slowly seeing no harm in resting them for a moment.

DP~DP~DP

Vlad wasn't really surprised that the woman feel asleep once again. He might have put too much sedative in her drink after all. She was so peaceful leaning against him. The others looked concern, but he gave them reassuring words. He remained with them talking and actually partially enjoying their company.

Maddie eventually had stated that it was late and retired for the night. The teens left soon after. Vlad looked at his shoulder that still braced a sleeping halfa. He tried to pick up as gently as he could to not wake her. He lifted her off the couch easily and held her close to his chest.

Her eyes fluttered open sleepily as she gave him a small smile. "Sorry, you're party was very fun," she said softly.

"You fell asleep. I don't think that is an indication of a good time," Vlad responded. She looked a little embarrassed and guilty. "Don't fret. You can make it up to me."

"How so?" Catalina asked tilting her head slightly.

Vlad smirked, but he didn't know how to continue with his next statement. "Accompany me to a movie premiere," he responded remembering an invitation that he received the other day.

The woman's brown eyes looked straight through him. "Are you asking me out?" she asked her face confused. Vlad nearly dropped her at her question. Was he? His fluster wasn't missed as the woman giggled. "Of course, I would accompany you. Whether it is a date or not," she said with a wink.

Vlad felt the tension in his body loosen in relief. He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He looked down at a pair of warm brown eyes and was certain that he could finally let go of the past.

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A/N: Ugh, the worst ending ever, but I am feeling really uninspired. So thanks everyone for reading this fic even though it wasn't the best.


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